Unlucky timing halted £800 scoop

HER numbers came up, but not her £800 winnings, so for many months there were no lucky Lotto Hotpicks celebrations for Jenny Peters, as she struggled to find out when or even if she would get a payout.

It had been Jenny's husband who had treated her to three lucky dip numbers in January. "We could barely believe it when we saw they were all successful. But that did not last, as I didn't receive anything. I telephoned again and again, spoke to many managers about what I must do and then submitted a claim," Jenny explained. Then, on the brink of giving, up she asked for Crusader's help.

What Jenny had not been aware of, was that the timing of her win had coincided with new operator Allwyn taking over the National Lottery, a move followed by rule changes and a claims backlog.