What happens when you win the lottery? Your first steps

The short answer

Check the ticket, keep it safe and claim through the official operator. After that, slow down. Apart from the claim, almost nothing needs deciding in the first few weeks. You don’t need to quit your job, buy a house or promise money to anyone today.

Step 1: check it properly

Match the game and draw date first, then compare your numbers. For Lotto, check each round separately. Confirm the result with the official operator before you tell anyone.

Step 2: keep the ticket and your account safe

• If you played in a shop, the ticket is your proof. Sign the back if there’s space and store it somewhere safe and dry.
• Don’t post a photo of the ticket, its barcode or your online account.
• If you played online, your win is already linked to your account. Use a strong password and turn on two-step sign-in if it’s offered.
• If a paper ticket goes missing, you have 30 days to report a lost ticket.
• Keep the circle of people who know small, and write down who you’ve told.

Step 3: claim the right way for the amount

Our guide on how to claim and how long payouts take has the full detail.

Contact the operator using a phone number or website you find yourself, never a link someone sends you. You never pay a fee to release a prize.

Step 4: decide about publicity

Going public is your choice. Publicity can bring scams, begging letters and pressure, so take your time and talk it through with the people closest to you. See our guide to staying anonymous. Jane Park says going public is the one thing she regrets.

Step 5: get a small team around you

A big win brings legal, tax and money questions that are hard to sort out alone. For a large prize, most winners need three people: a solicitor who handles private clients, an accountant for tax, and a regulated independent financial adviser.

• Check any adviser on the Financial Conduct Authority register and use the contact details shown there.
• Talk to more than one firm and compare fees.
• Be wary of anyone who rings you out of the blue, rushes you or promises guaranteed returns.

Step 6: slow down before you spend

• Put the money somewhere safe while you plan. Don’t leave it all in one current account or rush it into a single investment.
• Clear expensive debt like credit cards first. Check mortgages for early repayment charges before paying them off.
• Remember the win is tax-free, but interest and investment returns are not.
• Try a budget in our win planner. Our guide to spending lottery winnings has a simple plan.

Step 7: family, friends and your will

Requests for help can start before you’ve made a plan. Decide who you want to help, and by how much, and it’s fine to say nothing will be decided for a few months. The Connollys have given away about half of their £115m, but they did it with a plan.

A big win can make an old will or insurance policy out of date. Review them with a solicitor, and take advice before making large gifts, because they can affect Inheritance Tax.

The one rule: delay anything you can’t undo

Secure the win, claim through the official channel and get checked professionals around you. Then take your time. Michael Carroll spent £9.7m in about eight years, which shows how fast it can go. This guide is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice.

Questions people ask