Over E1m in prize bond winnings uncollected

OVER 7,000 people have failed to collect prize bonds winnings worth over E1 million.

Some prizes date back to 1957, the year prize bonds started, and the Prize Bond company wants to issue a reminder to bond holders who may have recently changed address or forgotten to check their prize bond numbers.

Although unclaimed prizes represent less than 1% of the prizes won since 1990, the Prize Bond Company would like to see all these prizes claimed.

A booklet listing details of all unclaimed prizes is available in Post Offices nationwide.

Information on current and unclaimed prizes can also be viewed online at www.prizebonds.ie or on TV3’s Threetext, page 705.

More than 2,300 tax-free prizes are won every week by holders of prize bonds.

In 2004, bondholders won more than E110,000 tax-free prizes with a total value in excess of E11m.

All Prize Bonds enter a weekly cash draw with prizes ranging in value from E75 to the monthly jackpot prize, now worth E150,000.

Each registered bond is included in all draws up until the date it is cashed and each individual bond is eligible to win one prize in every draw in which it is included.