That sentence there exemplifies where we part company. I don't think anyone should be working poor, and I don't believe that one should have to move up to the middle class in order to provide adequately for themselves. My welfare gripes have always concerned the non-producers. I think it's a shame when the producers are going begging as well.
How far do you want to go to ease the life of the working poor? Guaranteed housing provided by the government? Oh wait, we already do that it's called section 8 housing. Same with health care, we already do that. I would say that giving too much assistance is like a child that refuses to let her child learn how to walk. It's not compassion, it's child abuse.
I hate corporate welfare as much as anyone, the way to get rid of is is to take the life or death decisions that politicians have over the wealthy and the business owners by returning to a government limited by the constitution. Regulating interstate commerce was not a blank check to punish and reward your friends and enemies with favorable or confiscatory tax laws and regulations.
FDR bought the votes of the farmers, bought the vote of the union members, bought the votes of the blacks by punishing the productive. His theft lead to the substitution of individualism for dependence on the government and specifically dependence on the Democrats for sustenance. Second term, his plans were well in place asking Republicans "Why are you for starving the farmer and the working man?" In 1942 FDR attempted to raise the income tax to 99.5% of all income over $25,000. It didn't pass, so he did an executive order setting the rate to 100% over $25,000. I can see that you would be jumping for joy at this populist executive order.
If you take away the incentive to produce, you will succeed more than likely. This is what you want, right?