Goal 1: No poverty

End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Working in partnership both locally and globally, we are tackling each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through our research, education and student experience, and through our operations. Discover how our unique commitments align with and support Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty.

Research and impact

The University of Liverpool contributes to SDG 1 by addressing the structural drivers of poverty through rigorous research and evidence-led policy engagement. In 2025, researchers at the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place provided oral evidence to the UK Child Poverty Taskforce highlighting that 40% of children in Liverpool live in poverty. Their analysis showed how removing the two-child benefit cap could substantially reduce child poverty and improve health equity (1.2, 1.3, 1.A). Further evidence from Liverpool-led studies reinforced the urgent need for action. A longitudinal analysis of more than 15,000 children demonstrated the lasting impacts of socioeconomic disadvantage on mental health trajectories (1.2, 1.4). Separate research found that persistent poverty and parental mental illness doubled the likelihood of youth involvement in violence and police contact, addressing the need for stronger social protection under target (1.3).

Education and student experience

Our students engage with the root causes of poverty through a diverse, multi-disciplinary curriculum that combines critical understanding with practical skills. In 2024/25 new interdisciplinary courses addressed contemporary issues such as the cost-of-living crisis and digital exclusion, enabling students to analyse poverty in evolving contexts and directly supporting target (1.2). Across programmes in Social Policy, Politics, History, Sociology, and Health Economics, students explore welfare systems, the political dimensions of poverty, historical perspectives, and health inequalities (1.2, (1.4). Beyond the classroom, students actively contribute to SDG 1 through community engagement. The IntoUniversity Mentoring Scheme pairs students with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to raise aspirations and improve access to higher education (1.4). In addition, volunteering programmes address food security, homelessness, and social justice across the Liverpool City Region (1.2, 1.3).

Sustainable campus and operations

The University supports SDG 1 by promoting social mobility and reducing poverty through widening access to higher education and comprehensive student support. Our Access and Participation Plan sets clear targets to improve enrolment and progression for underrepresented groups (1.4), while the Student Success Framework helps disadvantaged students secure meaningful employment or further study (1.2). We provide targeted financial aid through bursaries, scholarships, and dedicated support for refugees in line with our UNHCR commitment (1.B, 4.5). To reduce financial barriers, students have access to hardship funding, budgeting advice, interest-free loans, and emergency assistance, alongside wellbeing initiatives such as free sanitary products and extended campus facilities (1.2). In response to the cost-of-living crisis, the University has introduced subsidised meals and access to food support services (1.2). As a Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all staff and embed social responsibility in our employment practices (1.2). Our Liv to Give volunteering programme connects staff with local charities, while financial and mentoring support for social enterprises strengthens poverty reduction efforts across the Liverpool City Region (1.2, 1.4).

Case Study

Tackling child poverty through localised policy reform

In July 2025, the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place published a policy brief highlighting the urgent need to address the UK’s growing child poverty crisis. Tackling Child Poverty calls for a fundamental shift in national and local policy approaches, grounded in the principle that child poverty is a political choice rather than an inevitability.

The brief demonstrates how successive policy changes have weakened the UK’s commitment to tackling child poverty, with the removal of national targets, reduced reporting, and significant cuts to local welfare budgets. It recommends the restoration of statutory child poverty targets, renewed duties for local government, and increased funding for welfare assistance schemes. This work directly supports (1.2) by addressing the multidimensional nature of child poverty, (1.3) through strengthening social protection systems, and (1.B) by advocating for locally driven, evidence-based frameworks.

By reframing poverty as a structural issue and promoting a place-based model, the brief encourages national government to re-engage with local partners and strengthen capacity for deprivation reduction. The research has been shared with Liverpool City Council and disseminated to local government and social welfare stakeholders as part of the Heseltine Institute’s Policy in an Age of Uncertainty series, contributing to ongoing policy dialogue across the UK.