Major change to Lotto scratchcard rules as winners face clampdown on prize payouts

LOTTERY scratchcard winners are having to wait more than a month to collect their money under a payout clampdown.

New operator Allwyn has changed the procedure for wins between £500 and £50,000.

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Post Office branches were the only shops where cheques for those sums could be given to winning punters — but they have now been blocked.

Instead, the operator, which took over from Camelot at the start of last month, insists winners their verify numbers online or over the phone before sending the ticket by post for inspection.

But winners such as John Farrugia, 69, are waiting up to six weeks to receive their payouts.

The retired builder has struggled to get his £800 from two tickets, and said: “I’m being passed around departments when I call to try and redeem the money I won fair and square.”

The clampdown may have been triggered by a spate of fake claims made to Camelot using dodgy tickets at corner shops.

Allwyn is telling winners it wants tickets sent in for checks by its security operations team.

It also wants official ID and pictures of winners.

But John, of Sutton, Surrey, added: “For a lot of older people it’s difficult.”

Allwyn was approached for comment.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk