Parents in the North West are being urged not to miss the deadline for renewing Child Benefit payments.

Parents have less than two weeks to inform HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if their 16 to 19-year-old is continuing education or training, or their Child Benefit payments will cease.

If parents have not yet updated their claim, then payments will stop after August 31.

If the child continues with approved learning or training, it's possible to keep receiving Child Benefit.

HMRC is urging those responsible to act now rather than later.

A quick and easy solution is to update the claim online on GOV.UK or through the HMRC app.

More than 270,000 parents have already updated their claim digitally, the advantage being no need to wait on the telephone.

Parents are advised to keep their claim details up to date, even if they've decided not to receive Child Benefit payments due to the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

Opting back into receiving Child Benefit payments can also be done online or via the app.

Each year, Child Benefits could provide up to £1,331 for the first or only child, and up to £881 for each subsequent child.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: "Child Benefit is an important financial support for many households and we don’t want to see any eligible family miss out.

"You can extend your claim quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK."

Victoria Benson, CEO of Gingerbread, a charity for single-parent families, said: "It's really important, with the August 31 deadline fast approaching, that parents whose children are going into further education and training extend their claim as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this crucial financial help."

If a child changes their decision about staying in education or training, parents can simply inform HMRC online or via the app.

Child Benefit payments will adjust accordingly and parents can check their claims status anytime online or through the app.

To use HMRC’s online services, parents need a Government Gateway user ID and password.

Registration can be done on GOV.UK with a National Insurance number or postcode, along with two forms of ID.