This paper responds to the NIACE report "Learning through Life" in relation to the report's thematic area of poverty reduction. The paper draws on the thematic working papers that informed the report as well as wider literature on poverty. It takes a multidimensional perspective of poverty, drawing on Sen's concept of poverty as "unfreedom" and making comparisons with developing country contexts. The paper supports the NIACE view that life-wide learning is an essential ingredient for addressing the multidimensional nature of poverty, but questions whether sufficient attention has been given to addressing gender inequalities.