Liverpool commits to 10-year framework to tackle poverty and improve life chances 

Liverpool City Council is preparing to endorse a comprehensive Anti-Poverty Framework spanning a decade, from 2026 to 2036, designed to both prevent and alleviate poverty while enhancing residents’ quality of life throughout the city. This initiative consolidates the Council’s current anti-poverty efforts into a unified strategy, fostering closer collaboration among various services and partners and enabling more effective monitoring of progress and outcomes.

The framework outlines a ten-year ambition centered on tackling the root causes of poverty and minimizing its effects on Liverpool’s population. Key priorities include early intervention to prevent financial crises, incorporating feedback from the community, improving access to essential resources such as food, housing, and digital connectivity, and advancing opportunities for children and families. It also emphasizes the creation of inclusive employment, boosting economic growth, and ensuring that poverty considerations are integrated into major decisions made by the Council.

Development of the framework has involved extensive input from local residents and partner organizations, analysis of poverty-related data, and ongoing dialogue within Council departments. It aligns closely with key citywide strategies including the Council Plan, the Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy, the Housing Strategy, approaches addressing homelessness and rough sleeping, the Family Help Partnership Strategy, and the work of the Fairer, Healthier Liverpool Partnership. Despite these efforts, Liverpool remains one of England’s most deprived local authorities, with 37% of its neighborhoods ranked among the top 10% most deprived nationwide. Child poverty is particularly concerning, affecting 53.3% of children living in income-deprived households.

The framework acknowledges that certain groups are disproportionately affected by poverty, including children and young adults, disabled individuals and carers, elderly residents, some ethnic minority communities, lone parents, families with specific support needs, migrants excluded from public funds, and women facing economic inequality. Reflecting this, the framework adopts an equality-focused approach consistent with the Council’s equality objectives and its anti-racism strategy. Councillor Ruth Bennett, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Transformation, highlighted the Council’s sustained commitment, stating, “This framework sets out our long-term commitment to tackling poverty and improving opportunities for people across Liverpool. Too many residents and families continue to face financial hardship, and we know the effects are felt across many areas of life, from housing and employment to education and wellbeing.”

Among the plan’s key measures are the continuation of the £2.1 million Liverpool Citizen Support Scheme, enhancing access to affordable food and Free School Meals, assisting residents with energy expenses through the Healthy Homes service, and combating digital exclusion by providing devices and free mobile data. Additional actions include expanding face-to-face support, revitalizing youth services, and establishing a multi-year Crisis Resilience Fund starting April 2026 to support individuals during times of hardship. The Council also intends to develop a Liverpool-specific poverty metric and conduct citywide poverty reviews every two years to evaluate progress and deepen understanding of residents’ challenges. Overall, this framework offers a coordinated, evidence-based, and long-term strategy aimed at reducing poverty and improving opportunities for all communities across Liverpool

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