How does welfare attempt to raise poor people's standard of living?

It does not. The purpose of welfare and the entire welfare system is to provide individuals that have have made mistakes, or fallen on bad times through chance, the opportunity to pull themselves from their terrible situation. This is supposed to be a life link to prevent the lower portion (read poorer) from self extermination.

The problem with the entire system is the levels of aid we provide in order to maintain a feeling of self worth. The system provides very good housing and an over abundance of food. The cash allows the average person on assistance to survive and prosper.

As a result, we have people that live in low income housing their entire lives. They never remove themselves from the system and they prosper.

The next, unfortunate step, is that these people begin to feel this is a normal situation, This is an acceptable way to exist. They become unable to provide anything of value, save a few pounds of CO2 for planets, and leech off the system their entire lives. They feel that those that do work, should provide them with an equal life style. They even want equal health systems and privileges.

The problem is, and always has been, one of balance. How do we provide for the poorer, less able, handicapped or retarded while still providing them with the drive needed to want out of the horrible life they are in. We can continue to throw money at the issue and buy votes from these people, or we can fix the problem. Fixing the problem will not be popular as these people can vote and will never to actually work for their income. As a result, political opinion is and always has been to keep these people in this terrible situation.