Major change to Lotto scratch card rules as winners face tougher payouts

LOTTERY scratch card winners will have to wait more than a month before they can collect their money under a cashout restriction.

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

Post offices were the only shops where checks for these amounts could be given to winning punters – but they have now been blocked.

Instead, the operator, which took over from Camelot early last month, insists that winners verify their numbers online or over the phone before sending the ticket in the mail for inspection.

But winners like John Farrugia, 69, are waiting up to six weeks for their payouts.

The retired builder is struggling to get his £800 from two tickets, and said: “I am being taken around the departments when I call to try to exchange the money I have won fairly.”

The crackdown may have been caused by a wave of false claims made to Camelot using dodgy tickets in convenience stores.

Allwyn tells the winners that they want to have tickets sent in for review by the security team.

It also wants official ID and photos of the winners.

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

Allwyn was contacted for comment.