First even having a pretty good job in not enough to keep you above the poverty level. I worked in a trade job and was paid fairly well. In our case, though with a family of 5 you would need to make about $13.50 an hour and never miss a day of work for any reason to keep above the poverty level. We just weren't making it and were on food stamps for about a year.
On the other hand our situation was very much a life decision. We had two preschool age children and my wife preferred not to go to work. In the end I decided I just had to get a better job. I went back to school(which meant I got even more government money) and was eventually able to double my salary.
I don't know if I have any point other than that there is no black and white. It is a nuanced situation and we should not dehumanize either side.