I strongly think an individual’s ability to attain wealth can be undermined by disadvantages faced from birth. Whether you’re born into advantage or disadvantage is simply a matter of luck. It’s absurd to argue that Person A deserved to be born into a comfortable, stable household, and that Person B deserved to be born into an impoverished, abusive household. Given that Person A and Person B will both be fundamentally shaped by the circumstances of their birth, it is our responsibility as a society to take action to compensate Person B’s disadvantage — for their sake, and for the sake of their children. To some extent, states already do this. Money is deducted from the incomes of the self-sufficient and redistributed to those who are unable to support themselves in the form of welfare. Taxpayer money is also allocated toward the public healthcare system and the construction of social housing. These measures level the playing field to a large extent, but do not achieve full equality of opportunity.
So yes, we might be obligated to help the poor, because when you dig beneath the surface you’ll often find that ‘poor people’ haven’t done much to deserve their misfortune.