There are certainly “innocent” poor if you want to use the term - those who are disadvantaged through no fault of their own and are working hard to get out of it.

And just as certainly being poor can be a result of bad choices and other things. Denying that either is possible is a recipe for disaster.

What we should do is work on the things that will work for those who need help and help them improve their skills or provide them a structured environment where are those skills are not necessary.

Many of them, yes. And a plethora of other complex problems. Severe trauma, drug and alcohol addiction, low executive function are all in the mix.

This isn't an attempt at blaming, just a statement that there are significant hurdles.