Imagine that moment you’ve dreamt about, at least a little, every time you’ve bought yourself a UK National Lottery ticket. The giddy reception, the sudden rush of excitement and awe, and the newfound ability to afford some of life’s greatest pleasures; all are common attributes of the idea of what it’s like to win. But for some unlucky UK resident, the experience of winning the national lottery was nothing at all like the scenario described. In fact, it was so different as to be in a class of its own.

Recently, a cash prize upwards of £50 thousand was forfeited as a result of the winning ticket holder not coming forward with their identity. Though the act of giving the money away to charity, which is what the UK National Lottery did, may seem unfair, the winning ticket holder had been given since their win in mid-April to claim their prize, which is ample time in any situation.

It’s unclear whether the winning ticket was simply lost, or of the owner failed to check their numbers after the lottery had concluded. Either way, the loss of the funds has been surprising for the company, and will no doubt be difficult for the ticket holder if and when the error is discovered. No matter how great that difficulty may be, however, the funds are permanently off-reach, and there is no chance of claiming them now, even if the proper ticket is produced.

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