The prize fund rate for Premium Bonds has changed several times this year
NS&I has announced the Premium Bonds prize winners for the December draw. Big prizes in the monthly draw include amounts such as £50,000 and £100,000, and you can even scoop a £1million jackpot. There are always two £1million prizes in each draw.
The first £1million prize was awarded to a saver from the Cornwall region with winning Bond 615WP633178. They purchased their lucky Bond earlier this year, in February 2025, when they bought £20,000 in Bonds. They also had £20,000 in Bonds going into the December draw.
A customer from the Norwich area bagged the other £1million jackpot, with their lucky Bond number 591RD417238. They purchased their winning Bond in August 2024, when they bought £35,000 in Bonds. They also had £35,000 in total holdings going into this month’s draw.
Each £1 Bond has an equal chance of being paired with a prize, with the odds of each £1 Bond winning currently at 22,000 to one. However, most of the prizes are for relatively small amounts, such as for £25.
Big prize winners with small holdings
As each individual Bond eligible to go into the draw has an equal chance of being paired with a prize, you could win big even if you have a small holdings. For example, one person from the West Sussex region with just £130 in Bonds won a £25,000 prize.
Often these customers have held their Bonds for a long time, even for many decades. One person from Edinburgh won a £5,000 prize for winning Bond 1CB176282 which they purchased in March 1965, when they bought £3 in Bonds. Their total holding was just £6 going into the December draw.
One lucky saver from the City of Bristol region with just £10 in holdings also won a £5,000 prize. Their lucky Bond was 7KF515686, which they purchased in July 1971. A person from Essex with just £12 in Bonds also took home £5,000. They bought their winning Bond 10KB097116 in January 1977.
There were seven prize winners with Bonds that purchased more than 30 years ago that won big prizes in the December draw. This is the full list including their prize amount, where the winner was from, their winning Bond and when it was purchased:
- £5,000 prize – Edinburgh – 1CB176282 – March 1965
- £10,000 prize – Northern Ireland – 2CF586637 – November 1975
- £5,000 prize – Bristol City Of – 7KF515686 – July 1971
- £10,000 prize – East Suffolk – 3NB160832 – December 1978
- £5,000 prize – Essex – 10KB097116 – January 1977
- £10,000 prize – Buckinghamshire – 13BN653263 – May 1985
- £50,000 prize – Buckinghamshire – 20PL502986 – January 1985.
It’s worth noting that the best way to increase your chances of winning is by increasing your holdings, so you have more chances to win in each draw. Many people arrange their accounts so any prize winnings are automatically used to buy more Bonds. The maximum amount you can hold is £50,000.