You're talking about two different issues, poverty and addiction. They may overlap in some cases, but are quite distinct.
Very few people "choose" to be poor. A handful may do so out of some bizarre notion of rejecting capitalism or going off the grid in search of freedom, but the majority are poor because they have no other option that they know of. I understand those who have never struggled with poverty may think it's an easy life of sucking up tax money and eating bonbons. It's not. It's not something most would choose for themselves or their children. With regards to those in poverty, I think we should make rising above it a viable and attractive choice. Right now, there are few incentives for the poor to work. Someone working full time at a fast food restaurant or retail shop, bringing home around $8/hour after tax, will only earn $1,280/month. That's not enough to live on for most, certainly not enough to enjoy yourself on, and you can get the same amount by going on disability. However, if that same person knew they'd be earning $16-20/hour, taking home $2,500-3,200 each month, many would feel inspired to get the job. There needs to be some sort of scaffolding to help those in poverty negotiate the steps to that higher paying job, where they feel their work is valued and they are paid adequately.
We also need to implement a more realistic approach to how we define need. For example, right now you're either 100% disabled, or you qualify for practically nothing. This is particularly true of adults without children, young adults who are just starting out what could be profitable lives. What about someone who could work 15 hours/week but can't manage 40? My cousin is on disability, not because she is completely unable to move or think, but because there are no provisions for someone who struggles with serious illness but can still contribute a small amount to their own care. She could easily work 10-20 hours/week in a flexible job that accommodated her treatments, but finding said job would be nigh impossible, and she can't live on what one earns with part time employment. When she was working full time, before disability, she was chronically sick and uninsured (she is now on Medicare and Medicaid), constantly missing work because her health was so poor. Being allotted medical care has improved her health enough to work part time, but she can't do that since it would endanger her medical coverage. It's a twisted system that takes a game but struggling person and makes them choose between extreme poverty with their dignity intact, or frustrating and shameful over-reliance on social services.
In regards to addiction, of course no one chooses to be an addict. However, it can be difficult to get someone help even if they desperately want to recover. I believe the approach should resemble mental illness. If a person poses a threat to themselves or others, they should be mandated treatment. I don't think treatment should ever be viewed as a punishment, nor should it be implemented that way. Addicts are hurting people, not bad people. They may need to be helped against their will until they come to their senses, same as someone with schizophrenia.
