On top of that, Patrick and Frances Connolly from Northern Ireland won a £114.9M on New Year’s Day, Ade Goodchild banked £71M in March and there was an anonymous £38M winner in April.‘A National Lottery win belongs to the signatories of the relevant validation paperwork.

Take your time.The next EuroMillions draw is taking place on Tuesday 1 October, and the jackpot is now £169 million.In June one lucky ticket-holder – who chose to remain anonymous – became the UK’s third-biggest ever winner after scooping the entire £123M jackpot’.

At your validation appointment you will be asked how many people you have told about your win, as this may help to make your decision about anonymity.The National Lottery provides the same level of support for winners who go public or stay private, and says that only around 10 per cent of big winners choose to announce it.35 of Blackadder's most cunning quotes and one-linersSmaller prizes can be claimed from retailers or affiliated Post Offices.The advisors will still be on hand to offer advice, but from this point on the money is yours to do with as you wish.If you do lose your ticket, it may still be possible to claim your prize, but you must make contact with the National Lottery within 30 days of the draw.Winning the lottery is something many of us might dream of and for a lucky few, that dream actually becomes reality.Most winners will typically claim within the first few days or weeks, but there is no obligation to do it straight away - your claim will remain valid at anytime within the 180 day time frame.If, by a sheer stroke of luck, you manage to bag a big EuroMillions prize, such as a jackpot, there are a few processes you need to go through first before you get access to your winnings.Winners should ensure their ticket is kept safe until the claim process is underway, when lottery officials will conduct rigorous security checks to validate your claim.Winners have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim their EuroMillions prize (Photo: Shutterstock)At this point you will also be given the opportunity to make contact with other big winners, whether to ask questions about their experience or get some support from people in the same situation.Once your claim has been validated and the bank account is set up, the money will be transferred within 48 hours.A validation appointment will then be arranged at a time and place that suits you.Opting for publicity will come with various media obligations that need to be fulfilled, including a winner's ceremony, revealing your name and plans for the money.In the UK, you have 180 days from the date of the lottery draw to claim your EuroMillions prize.While lottery winnings are not taxed in the UK, the interest on your win will be subject to income tax.Online shoppers are being warned about an Amazon ‘brushing’ scam - this is what to look out forA follow-up meeting will be scheduled several weeks after you have received your winnings, with lawyers and financial advisors on hand to make sure everything has gone smoothly.The claims team will then ask you for specific information about yourself and your ticket, after which they will confirm on the phone that the details provided are correct and you are the winner.The appointment typically takes around two hours and the claims advisor will fill out all of the necessary paperwork, and answer any questions you might have.And if you choose to gift some of your money to others, they may have to pay inheritance tax if you die within seven years of sharing the money.To begin the claims process, winners need to phone the National Lottery Customer Care Team on 0333 234 44 33 (if you played online), or 0333 234 50 50 (if you played in-store).

The moment that you find out you have won the lottery, your life will never be the same again.

After that, the money plus the interest it has generated whilst it is held in trust, is passed over to National Lottery Good Causes.We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. It comes after the Prime Minister today…‘There is no tax on the win itself, but if the win produces an income through interest, then that will be taxed as part of your normal income tax,’ Andy explained.‘The vast majority of winners are very conservative – they have been blessed with a huge amount of money and they want to protect it.’Currently the biggest lottery win in the UK is Colin and Chris Weir from Largs who won £161M on EuroMillions in 2011.Sabah to face snap polls after assembly dissolved KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo will face a snap election after the assembly was…From the moment you realise you’ve won to actually getting the money, winners are looked after every step of the way by a dedicated team of National Lottery ‘Winner’s Advisors’ like Andy. If you win a large EuroMillions prize and your estate exceeds the £325,000 valuation, you should be aware of the rules regarding IHT and how it will affect your heirs. Contact details can also be found on the back of your ticket.Winners can choose whether to go public or remain anonymous (Photo: Shutterstock) It is their job to support winners through the entire process so they can begin to enjoy their life-changing win.So far this year, there have been four UK jackpot winners who now have a combined wealth of nearly £350M between them.This first phone call to the National Lottery call centre is important, because it sets in motion the crucial steps that all lottery winners must follow to claim their prize.During this follow-up meeting, big money winners are given free legal and financial advice on how best to manage their money in order to achieve what they want with it.In the past, people who have gone public with their incredible National Lottery wins have chosen to spend their cash on new houses, cars, holidays and on their family and friends. If you win a sum like the estimated £169 million prize Euromillions jackpot in tonight’s draw – the largest ever up for grabs – then the phrase ‘life-changing’ is an understatement.While every Euromillions winner is different, all lottery winners who receive over £50,000 are visited by a Winner’s Advisor after they call to claim their prize.

Sure, everyone can dream about how a colossal sum of money would alter their entire existence, but what if you actually won

However, once the money is paid into an elected bank account, it takes two days for the money to process before it can be withdrawn.‘The only way the EuroMillions jackpot would go to National Lottery Good Causes is if the jackpot is won in a draw but, for whatever reason, the ticket-holder does not then subsequently come forward to claim,’ Elanor told us.‘They would then get a member of my team to call you back.’When it comes to the decision to keep a lottery win a secret or tell the whole world, you’d think that either way, one of the people to definitely be in the loop would be the winner’s partner or spouse.