{"id":369992,"date":"2017-02-02T22:59:06","date_gmt":"2017-02-02T22:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?p=369992"},"modified":"2026-02-03T17:58:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T17:58:06","slug":"what-to-do-with-small-fortune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune","title":{"rendered":"What to do if you win the lottery"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You chanced it, and you actually won the lottery! You\u2019re exploding with excitement, but you also have a million questions swirling around in your head about what to do next. That\u2019s okay. All you need to do is take a deep breath and follow these steps.<\/p><h3>What to do in the first few days<\/h3><p>It\u2019s perfectly fine to celebrate your lucky day \u2013 just keep the news to yourself for a bit.<\/p><p>When people come into a small fortune, they can often become overwhelmed by the attention they draw. But this is precisely the time when you don\u2019t want to be the centre of attention. You\u2019ll need to claim the prize first, of course, and then get some professional advice to avoid making any unwise decisions.<\/p><p>So tell as few people as possible for now, and definitely don\u2019t announce the news on social media.<\/p><h3>How to claim the prize<\/h3><p>National Lottery winners in the UK have up to 180 days from the date of the draw to claim any prize they win. How to claim the money depends on where you bought the ticket, and how much you have won.<\/p><h4>If you bought a lottery ticket online<\/h4><ul><li><strong>Prizes up to \u00a350,000.<\/strong> These are usually paid back into your National Lottery account or into the bank account you\u2019ve linked with your National Lottery account.<\/li><li><strong>Prizes over \u00a350,000.<\/strong> You\u2019ll need to call the National Lottery customer care team on 0333 234 4433 to arrange for your claim to be processed in person.<\/li><\/ul><h4>If you bought a lottery ticket in a shop<\/h4><ul><li><strong>Prizes up to \u00a3500.<\/strong> These can usually be picked up from any retailer, at their discretion.<\/li><li><strong>Prizes between \u00a3500.01 and \u00a350,000.<\/strong> You can start your claim on the National Lottery website. You\u2019ll need your ticket to hand.<\/li><li><strong>Prizes over \u00a350,000.<\/strong> Call the National Lottery customer care team on <span>0333 234 5050<\/span> to arrange for your claim to be processed in person.<\/li><\/ul><p>If you win big, you\u2019ll be given an adviser who will come and meet you, either at home or a location of your choice.<\/p><p>You\u2019ll need to fill in a prize claim form to give to the adviser and hand over the winning ticket so they can check that it\u2019s legitimate. They will then complete all the necessary paperwork.<\/p><p>Once everything has been validated the money will usually be paid into your chosen bank account within 48 hours.<\/p><div class=\"did-you-know u-bg--sky-subtle u-rounded--lg\" data-component=\"did-you-know\">\n        <div class=\"did-you-know__block\">\n        <h4 class=\"did-you-know__title\">\n            <span class=\"did-you-know__title-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewbox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <circle cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"12\" fill=\"#00B2FF\"><\/circle>\n                    <path d=\"M17.5 22.5C17.5 22.7967 17.412 23.0867 17.2472 23.3334C17.0824 23.58 16.8481 23.7723 16.574 23.8858C16.2999 23.9993 15.9983 24.0291 15.7074 23.9712C15.4164 23.9133 15.1491 23.7704 14.9393 23.5607C14.7296 23.3509 14.5867 23.0836 14.5288 22.7926C14.471 22.5017 14.5007 22.2001 14.6142 21.926C14.7277 21.6519 14.92 21.4176 15.1667 21.2528C15.4133 21.088 15.7033 21 16 21C16.3978 21 16.7794 21.158 17.0607 21.4393C17.342 21.7206 17.5 22.1022 17.5 22.5ZM16 9C13.2425 9 11 11.0188 11 13.5V14C11 14.2652 11.1054 14.5196 11.2929 14.7071C11.4804 14.8946 11.7348 15 12 15C12.2652 15 12.5196 14.8946 12.7071 14.7071C12.8946 14.5196 13 14.2652 13 14V13.5C13 12.125 14.3463 11 16 11C17.6538 11 19 12.125 19 13.5C19 14.875 17.6538 16 16 16C15.7348 16 15.4804 16.1054 15.2929 16.2929C15.1054 16.4804 15 16.7348 15 17V18C15 18.2652 15.1054 18.5196 15.2929 18.7071C15.4804 18.8946 15.7348 19 16 19C16.2652 19 16.5196 18.8946 16.7071 18.7071C16.8946 18.5196 17 18.2652 17 18V17.91C19.28 17.4913 21 15.6725 21 13.5C21 11.0188 18.7575 9 16 9ZM29 16C29 18.5712 28.2376 21.0846 26.8091 23.2224C25.3807 25.3603 23.3503 27.0265 20.9749 28.0104C18.5995 28.9944 15.9856 29.2518 13.4638 28.7502C10.9421 28.2486 8.6257 27.0105 6.80762 25.1924C4.98953 23.3743 3.75141 21.0579 3.2498 18.5362C2.74819 16.0144 3.00563 13.4006 3.98957 11.0251C4.97351 8.64968 6.63975 6.61935 8.77759 5.1909C10.9154 3.76244 13.4288 3 16 3C19.4467 3.00364 22.7512 4.37445 25.1884 6.81163C27.6256 9.24882 28.9964 12.5533 29 16ZM27 16C27 13.8244 26.3549 11.6977 25.1462 9.88873C23.9375 8.07979 22.2195 6.66989 20.2095 5.83733C18.1995 5.00476 15.9878 4.78692 13.854 5.21136C11.7202 5.6358 9.76021 6.68345 8.22183 8.22183C6.68345 9.7602 5.63581 11.7202 5.21137 13.854C4.78693 15.9878 5.00477 18.1995 5.83733 20.2095C6.66989 22.2195 8.07979 23.9375 9.88873 25.1462C11.6977 26.3549 13.8244 27 16 27C18.9164 26.9967 21.7123 25.8367 23.7745 23.7745C25.8367 21.7123 26.9967 18.9164 27 16Z\" fill=\"#232320\"><\/path>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"did-you-know__title-text\">Do you want to stay anonymous or go public?<\/span>\n        <\/h4>\n        <div class=\"did-you-know__content\">\n            <p>You\u2019ll have a choice as to whether you want to keep the news private, or whether you want to share your story and accept publicity. This is totally up to you. If you do choose to go public, it might be wise to shut down accounts like Facebook and X for a while. With all the attention you\u2019ll receive, you don\u2019t want people invading your privacy by browsing through your photos or sending unsolicited messages.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Consider a savings account for your lottery winnings<\/h3><p>You may want to consider opening an account to spread out your money or simply to earn a higher interest rate. Here are some options to help you earn interest on your winnings.<br><a class=\"more-link-arrow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/\">Compare savings accounts<\/a><\/p><div class=\"newsletter-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup sticky-mode theme-green\" data-accountcreateflow=\"newsletter\" data-displaydelay=\"0\" data-showformembers=\"1\">\n    <div class=\"signup-grid\">\n                                <div class=\"signup-image\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png\" alt=\"newsletter-image\" class=\"signup-image-img\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=180 180w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=360 360w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=600 600w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=900 900w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" loading=\"lazy\">\n            <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"signup-content\">\n                <div class=\"signup-content-left\">\n                    <h2 class=\"signup-header\">Be first to know about new deals<\/h2>\n                                        <p class=\"signup-text\">Sign up to receive the latest deals, tips and a chance to <strong>win \u00a3400!<\/strong> (T&amp;Cs)\n                                            <\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                <div class=\"signup-content-right\">\n                    <div class=\"form\">\n                        <div class=\"email-group \">\n                            <label for=\"email-default\" class=\"sr-only\">Email address:<\/label>\n                            <input class=\"email-input\" id=\"email-default\" type=\"email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" name=\"email\" data-prefill=\"me.notes.createAccountEmail\">\n                            <button class=\"email-btn\">\n                                <span class=\"btn-text\">Sign up<\/span>\n                                <span class=\"loading-spinner\"><\/span>\n                            <\/button>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <p class=\"error-msg\"><span class=\"error-msg-text\">Error placeholder<\/span> <span class=\"error-msg-sign-in\"> Click <a class=\"error-msg-sign-in-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/user-profile\/sign-in?returnTo=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.finder.com%2Fuk%2Fuk%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F369992\">here<\/a> to sign in<\/span><\/p>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"links\">\n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/finder.com\/uk\/about-us\/competition-winners\">Winners<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/about-us\/example-email#savings\">Emails<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/communication-preferences\">Unsubscribe<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/privacy-policy\">Privacy<\/a>                                             <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div class=\"hide-btn\">\n            Hide\n            <svg class=\"luna-icon luna-icon--xsmall has-margin-top-xxsmall\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\"><\/use>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h4>Pay off debts<\/h4><p>The longer you hold onto debt, the more interest you\u2019ll accrue over the long run. Now is the perfect time to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/debt\">pay off everything you owe<\/a>: credit cards, student loans, mortgages and more. It\u2019s a responsible first step that will save you money over time.<\/p><h4>Put some money into a rainy-day fund<\/h4><p>You might be surprised by how many lottery winners end up broke. Whether through poor spending habits or plain bad luck, it\u2019s easy to squander a large windfall. So plan accordingly and create a back-up fund.<\/p><p>A rainy-day fund is typically stocked with six months\u2019 worth of your salary. Since you\u2019ve just received a large sum of money, you may instead want to put a percentage of the windfall into an emergency fund.<\/p><h4>Consider waiting a while before doing anything else<\/h4><p>Once you\u2019ve accepted the money, paid off your debts and created an emergency fund, consider doing absolutely nothing. Your winnings aren\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p><p>In fact, many financial advisers recommend letting the excitement die down before taking any other actions.<\/p><p>For several months or even a year, consider living as you normally do. This will give you time to carefully plan out your next steps. For example, work with a financial adviser to determine how much of your windfall you\u2019ll give to family and friends. You may even consider hiring a psychologist to help you deal with the emotions that come with receiving a large sum of money.<\/p><h3>What to do in the long term<\/h3><p>Now that you\u2019ve taken care of your short-term needs, your goal is to protect your windfall for the long term.<\/p><p>The first thing you should do is get a financial adviser. You\u2019ll be making some important finanical decisions and it\u2019s really important to get independent guidance and recommendations from an expert.<\/p><h4>Create an investment strategy<\/h4><p>Put together an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/share-trading\/how-to-start-investing\">investment strategy<\/a> with your financial adviser. This strategy should be consistent with your tolerance for risk.<\/p><p>To get your feet wet, you might first look at investments like short-term corporate or government bonds. These are considered relatively safe investments. Depending on the size of your windfall, you may generate a sizeable income off these \u201cboring\u201d investments alone.<\/p><p>After consulting with your financial adviser, you could expand your investment portfolio to include investments like stocks. Your financial adviser can help you create a portfolio with the right mix of stocks, bonds and other securities.<\/p><h4>Start planning your estate<\/h4><p>If all goes well, you\u2019ll live the rest of your life without having to worry about money.<\/p><p>You\u2019ll want your children and relatives to enjoy the same comfort, so begin the process of estate planning. In short, this means you\u2019ll decide what happens to your assets when you die. Work with your financial adviser, an estate planning solicitor and a tax adviser to settle matters of your estate \u2013 preferably well in advance.<\/p><h3>Frequently asked questions<\/h3><ul class=\"luna-accordionGroup accordionGroup\"><li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000000\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000000\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">Do I have to pay tax on my lottery winnings?<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000000\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\"><p>Great news: HMRC doesn\u2019t count lottery winnings as taxable, so you won\u2019t have to pay tax on the money \u2013 yet.<\/p><p>However, if your lottery winnings take the value of your estate to over \u00a3325,000, you may be liable to pay 40% inheritance tax when you die.<\/p><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li><\/ul><article class=\"luna-card luna-card--alt\"><div class=\"luna-card__block has-padding-small\">We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms \"best\", \"top\", \"cheap\" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/terms-of-use\" class=\"fin-text-navy\">terms of use<\/a>. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Defaqto. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.<\/div><\/article><div class=\"newsletter-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup sticky-mode theme-green\" data-accountcreateflow=\"newsletter\" data-displaydelay=\"0\" data-showformembers=\"1\">\n    <div class=\"signup-grid\">\n                                <div class=\"signup-image\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/kate_steere_3.png\" alt=\"newsletter-image\" class=\"signup-image-img\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/kate_steere_3.png?fit=180 180w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/kate_steere_3.png?fit=360 360w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/kate_steere_3.png?fit=600 600w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/kate_steere_3.png?fit=900 900w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/kate_steere_3.png?fit=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" loading=\"lazy\">\n            <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"signup-content\">\n                <div class=\"signup-content-left\">\n                    <h2 class=\"signup-header\">FREE interest rate alerts<\/h2>\n                                        <p class=\"signup-text\">Sign up to receive the latest deals, expert tips, and a chance to <strong>win \u00a3400!<\/strong> (T&amp;Cs)\n                                            <\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                <div class=\"signup-content-right\">\n                    <div class=\"form\">\n                        <div class=\"email-group \">\n                            <label for=\"email-default\" class=\"sr-only\">Email address:<\/label>\n                            <input class=\"email-input\" id=\"email-default\" type=\"email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" name=\"email\" data-prefill=\"me.notes.createAccountEmail\">\n                            <button class=\"email-btn\">\n                                <span class=\"btn-text\">Sign up<\/span>\n                                <span class=\"loading-spinner\"><\/span>\n                            <\/button>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <p class=\"error-msg\"><span class=\"error-msg-text\">Error placeholder<\/span> <span class=\"error-msg-sign-in\"> Click <a class=\"error-msg-sign-in-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/user-profile\/sign-in?returnTo=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.finder.com%2Fuk%2Fuk%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F369992\">here<\/a> to sign in<\/span><\/p>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"links\">\n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/finder.com\/uk\/about-us\/competition-winners\">Winners<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/about-us\/example-email#savings\">Emails<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/communication-preferences\">Unsubscribe<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/privacy-policy\">Privacy<\/a>                                             <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div class=\"hide-btn\">\n            Hide\n            <svg class=\"luna-icon luna-icon--xsmall has-margin-top-xxsmall\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\"><\/use>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s what to do if you unexpectedly find yourself with a large sum of money.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":832,"featured_media":376977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"nicheCode":"","productId":"","enableOptimizely":false,"_persistent_nav_menu_items":null,"blockTemplateId":"","_post_hreflang":"en","related_url":"\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune","workflow-intro":"","workflow-faq":"","workflow-conclusion":"","workflow-benefits":"","workflow-overview":"","workflow-test":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1181],"tags":[],"asset_tag":[],"class_list":["post-369992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-savings-accounts"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.9 (Yoast SEO v24.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Won the lottery? Here\u2019s what to do next | Finder UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A sudden windfall can come with a whirlwind of emotions. Take a deep breath and follow these steps on what to do if you&#039;ve won the Lottery.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to do if you win the lottery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A sudden windfall can come with a whirlwind of emotions. Take a deep breath and follow these steps on what to do if you&#039;ve won the Lottery.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Finder UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/findercomuk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-02-02T22:59:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"250\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anna Kierstan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@findercomUK\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@findercomUK\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anna Kierstan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Anna Kierstan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a005aa24007e19300c8720a16ff71dbd\"},\"headline\":\"What to do if you win the lottery\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-02T22:59:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-03T17:58:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune\"},\"wordCount\":1181,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Savings accounts\"],\"inLanguage\":{\"@type\":\"Language\",\"name\":\"English\",\"alternateName\":\"en\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2017\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune\",\"name\":\"Won the lottery? Here\u2019s what to do next | Finder UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-02T22:59:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-03T17:58:14+00:00\",\"description\":\"A sudden windfall can come with a whirlwind of emotions. Take a deep breath and follow these steps on what to do if you've won the Lottery.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png\",\"width\":450,\"height\":250},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"UK\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Savings accounts\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What to do if you win the lottery\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/\",\"name\":\"Finder UK\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Finder\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Finder-Logo-696x696-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Finder-Logo-696x696-1.png\",\"width\":1392,\"height\":1392,\"caption\":\"Finder\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/findercomuk\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/findercomUK\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/finder\/\",\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Finder_(website)\"],\"description\":\"Every month more than 2 million unique visitors turn to Finder to save money and time, and to make important life choices. We compare everything from bank accounts, personal loans, investing platforms and much more.\",\"email\":\"heythere@finder.com\",\"legalName\":\"Finder\",\"foundingDate\":\"2006-01-01\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a005aa24007e19300c8720a16ff71dbd\",\"name\":\"Anna Kierstan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/2025\/03\/annakierstan_supplied_512x512.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/2025\/03\/annakierstan_supplied_512x512.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Anna Kierstan\"},\"description\":\"Anna Kierstan is an associate editor at Finder, specialising in money transfers and cryptocurrency. She has more than 15 years\u2019 experience in publishing and journalism, working as an editor for brands including HSBC, Which?, NFU Mutual, Weight Watchers and AXA. She has a first-class degree in Linguistics and Philosophy from University College London and Masters degrees in Journalism and Translation. She likes to collect art and animals.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/author\/annakierstan\",\"jobTitle\":\"Associate editor\",\"sameAs\":[],\"worksFor\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Finder\"}}]}<\/script>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-03T17:58:14+00:00\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Won the lottery? Here\u2019s what to do next | Finder UK","description":"A sudden windfall can come with a whirlwind of emotions. Take a deep breath and follow these steps on what to do if you've won the Lottery.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"What to do if you win the lottery","og_description":"A sudden windfall can come with a whirlwind of emotions. Take a deep breath and follow these steps on what to do if you've won the Lottery.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune","og_site_name":"Finder UK","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/findercomuk","article_published_time":"2017-02-02T22:59:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":450,"height":250,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Anna Kierstan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@findercomUK","twitter_site":"@findercomUK","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Anna Kierstan","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune"},"author":{"name":"Anna Kierstan","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a005aa24007e19300c8720a16ff71dbd"},"headline":"What to do if you win the lottery","datePublished":"2017-02-02T22:59:06+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-03T17:58:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune"},"wordCount":1181,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png","articleSection":["Savings accounts"],"inLanguage":{"@type":"Language","name":"English","alternateName":"en"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2017","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune","url":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune","name":"Won the lottery? Here\u2019s what to do next | Finder UK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png","datePublished":"2017-02-02T22:59:06+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-03T17:58:14+00:00","description":"A sudden windfall can come with a whirlwind of emotions. Take a deep breath and follow these steps on what to do if you've won the Lottery.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/woman_enjoying_her_success_450x250.png","width":450,"height":250},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/what-to-do-with-small-fortune#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"UK","item":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Savings accounts","item":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What to do if you win the lottery"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/","name":"Finder UK","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization","name":"Finder","url":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Finder-Logo-696x696-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Finder-Logo-696x696-1.png","width":1392,"height":1392,"caption":"Finder"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/findercomuk","https:\/\/x.com\/findercomUK","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/finder\/","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Finder_(website)"],"description":"Every month more than 2 million unique visitors turn to Finder to save money and time, and to make important life choices. We compare everything from bank accounts, personal loans, investing platforms and much more.","email":"heythere@finder.com","legalName":"Finder","foundingDate":"2006-01-01","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a005aa24007e19300c8720a16ff71dbd","name":"Anna Kierstan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/2025\/03\/annakierstan_supplied_512x512.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/2025\/03\/annakierstan_supplied_512x512.jpg","caption":"Anna Kierstan"},"description":"Anna Kierstan is an associate editor at Finder, specialising in money transfers and cryptocurrency. She has more than 15 years\u2019 experience in publishing and journalism, working as an editor for brands including HSBC, Which?, NFU Mutual, Weight Watchers and AXA. She has a first-class degree in Linguistics and Philosophy from University College London and Masters degrees in Journalism and Translation. She likes to collect art and animals.","url":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/author\/annakierstan","jobTitle":"Associate editor","sameAs":[],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization","name":"Finder"}}]},"article_modified_time":"2026-02-03T17:58:14+00:00"},"hrefLangLinks":[],"custom_fields":{"_content_type":["niche-content\/information\/how-to"],"_masthead_variant":["{\"id\":\"standard-blue\",\"showFeaturedImage\":false,\"presetId\":\"\",\"shouldUsePrimaryCTAFieldName\":false,\"shouldUseSecondaryCTAFieldName\":false,\"primaryCTA\":null,\"secondaryCTA\":null,\"widgetShortcode\":\"\",\"widgetHeading\":\"\",\"widgetStats\":\"\",\"hasPrioritizedWidget\":false,\"hasMaximizedWidget\":false,\"shouldUseOverrideCTALabel\":false,\"overrideCTA\":null,\"cleanTopPicks\":\"\",\"tilesMenuId\":\"\"}"],"_masthead_subheading":["{\"text\":\"Congratulations, you won! Here&rsquo;s what to do when claiming your prize.\"}"],"custom_post_template":["single-masthead-two-column.php"]},"amp_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369992"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/832"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369992"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":572066,"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369992\/revisions\/572066"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/376977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369992"},{"taxonomy":"asset_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/asset_tag?post=369992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}