Late email from National Savings

My letter this morning from NS&I

"We're pleased to tell you that bond number xxxxxxxx registered in your name has won a prize of £50 instead of £25 in the draw (August 2023 draw).

We've reallocated this prize because the original winner wasn't eligible to receive it."

Possibly Prizes won in the first year after a person's death can be claimed by their beneficiary and are paid out when the account is closed. Prizes won after that are then reallocated to the next number bond in the draw.

I just got one as well. I checked back and it was the first one this month. They normally arrive a couple of days after the results are announced via the App.

Not, as I suspected, a scam. Just very, very late.

Cheers

Dave R