I find it scary how oblivious many are here in the UK about what true, absolute poverty is as experienced by millions in the developing world. It is obscene to contend that we have anything like that here. Which is not to say that there is not suffering, RELATIVE poverty and destitution. All of which can be alleviated to some extent by the relatively generous welfare state/health system. As we don't live in a perfect world with a bottomless social care budget, there have been cuts and some prople slip through the net, sadly. That shouldn't happen, I agree.
Where i lived previously, the official definition of poverty was no access to running water, no indoor loo. Very basic stuff. Millions of kids, though fed, met the official criteria for being malnourished as they were filled up with a cheap porridge/meal type food of v low nutritional value and/or fast food as a cheap alternative. It was not Ethipoia either! The welfare support was abysmal- all basic services to be paid for and only very occasional, very low benefits given- a maternity grant of £100 for one whole year, for example.
I think there should always be adequate support for those in need in the UK, always. But the thresholds have been stretched and stretched over the years- what was set up by Beveridge et al to provide "cradle to grave" support for the worker and their family (on a contributions basis) only in times of need has moved far from its origins of "incentive, opportunity and responsibility" and at its extreme has created whole communities with generations of workless people.
It should pay so much more to work and the benefits system should reflect this. Many governments of all persuasions have failed to grapple with this, probably because they're all, inevitably, so short-termist.