No, it's not a moral failing. Otherwise some very rich people would be falling into poverty very quickly. They are certainly not all hard working, morally incorruptible and staying married for life. It's more about what you learned when you were young, and the opportunities you had, for a lot of people any way. You learn to be poor, or you learn to be middle class, or you learn to be rich. A different set of coping strategies is needed for each. Which leaves open the possibility of learning new strategies or giving people new opportunities even as adults.

There are certainly better ways to help reduce poverty than the welfare system. Head start has made a huge difference. Keeping people from going broke due to medical expenses would be a big step in the right direction also.