Thousands of children in the Cumberland Council area are eligible for free school meals, new figures show.

Across England, a record number of children were eligible to receive free school meals as of January, but education sector leaders said the numbers were just “the tip of the iceberg”, as some youngsters living in poverty are missing out on them.

Department for Education figures show there were 8,457 school children in the Cumberland Council area meeting the eligibility criteria for free school meals at the start of the year, equivalent to 21.2 per cent of all pupils in the area.

READ MORE: Investigation launched after refuse vehicle catches fire in Carlisle

Children in state schools in England can receive free meals if a parent or carer is receiving one of several benefits, including Jobseeker’s Allowance, child tax credits or income support.

Parents on Universal Credit can also qualify for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 a year.

Nationally, the benefit was available to nearly 2.1 million children, or 24.6 per cent of all pupils – up from 23.8 per cent in the previous year.