I'm not saying people should have looming threats of poverty in order to work. I'm saying that having too much too soon is a disincentive to self improvement.

I'm not saying people should have looming threats of poverty in order to work. I'm saying that having too much too soon is a disincentive to self improvement. I've wanted to do what I currently do for a very long time, but there was no entrance to it without college, which was something I struggled with immensely. A $10k income with some pell grants would have meant food and health care while working my way through college (which I achieved by being a truck driver on weekends), but a $25k income would have meant "fuck it, I'm just gonna do nothing". Solutions like "Then find a way to incentivize yourself to work" might be good advice, but not a good policy.