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New National Lottery rules have meant winners are struggling to get hold of their prizes. The National Lottery was taken over by Allwyn from Camelot in February.
Changes to rules have left winners unable to collect their prize money from the Post Office, which is no longer handing out big rewards. Some winners have been forced to wait weeks for their money to arrive.
According to the new rules, players who win between £500 and £50,000 on Lottery games must follow the online process to get their cash. They have to provide their name, address, contact details, email and prize claim form within 180 days of their win.
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The physical ticket must also be sent into the office, Mirror reports. But this has sparked huge delays for some winners who would have previously been able to get their money within hours or days of their win.
Sergei Cofie-Squire, from Toxteth, has still not seen a penny of the £1,500 he won with a ticket purchased from WHSmith on March 19. The 61 year-old had planned to spend the cash on a holiday to Dubai but has been left without the extra money despite sending in his ticket weeks ago.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “I have been in touch many times because I won on March 19. I have followed all the procedures and I’m still waiting. I’ve rang numerous times. Half the time I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. I could understand a seven day delay, but not four weeks, which is unacceptable.”
“I’m a very regular Lottery player. You’ve got to be in it to win it. On March 19 I won the £1,500, so I went to the Post Office to try and collect my cheque, but I was told a new company had taken over.
“They give you a website you go to and put in all the details required, which is a photo of the winning ticket, front and back, and they then send you a QR code. Then you have to go to the Post Office with that code, and post the original ticket to them (Allwyn).”
His ticket was received by the National Lottery management on April 4. Mr Cofie-Squire has been told the delays are due to ‘inherited problems’ within the new company.
He said: “Why do I have to wait so long to collect my winnings? I’m told it’s a teething problem, but I say they should have thought of that before switching over. It’s beginning to feel like a joke. All the processes I have gone through, and I’ve heard nothing from them.
“They have to see my point. I played the Lottery and paid my money and have won fairly, and have verified my ticket. But up to now I have been dragged from pillar to post. If there is a problem they should make an official announcement so people don’t get frustrated.”
Taxi driver Ray Laird won £800 after buying a ticker from a corner shop in Merseyside on March 2. The 69-year-old got his daughter to submit his details and send in his winning ticket on his behalf, as per the new rules.
He said: “She did everything they asked and sent the tickets off. It was £800 I won. I phoned last week to enquire when I’m getting this money. Someone on the phone said to me ‘well if you played online you wouldn’t have this trouble’ I thought this is disgusting. I have bought tickets from 1994 why should I change now?”
The frustrated cabbie wants to put the money towards his mortgage after struggling with bills. He was told over the phone that he would receive a cheque but his money never arrived.
On April 11, he called again but was on the line for over an hour. He said: “£800 would have paid my mortgage this month. I’m a taxi driver, I’m struggling as it is. I’m 69 and still working so I can pay my mortgage.
“Times are tough at the moment, they are tough for everyone and I’m being crucified off the taxman for working and getting my pension, but I have to work. You can’t win. Everyone is struggling so as soon as you get extra cash it is a relief of stress on your bills, we all need that relief.”
An Allwyn spokesperson said: “This is a new claims process we’ve had to introduce following the Post Office’s decision to no longer pay National Lottery retail prizes between £500.01 and £50,000. As a result of it being new, we’ve been experiencing higher volumes of players contacting us and some initial delays to players receiving their prizes.
“We’ve since increased the number of colleagues to assist with claims – which is helping us send out prizes more quickly – and are continuing to work to make improvements to the process. For example, we recently started a trial where anyone winning under £1,000 no longer needs to send in their winning ticket to us to help speed up the process.
“We’re also reminding players that prizes of up to £500 can still be paid out in store.” Details of how to claim prize money from any of the National Lottery games can be found on the website.
