How has welfare/poverty been empowered or changed in today's society?

Well, the programs themselves haven't been empowered,
though attempts have been made at empowering individuals who currently receive
government assistance.

For example, many education programs
and subsidies exist so that people can be empowered to move themselves off the welfare
rolls.  These programs usually include money for tuition and books, as well as child
care and in some cases even gas money or bus passes.

A well
publicized "Welfare to Work" program passed during Clinton's Presidency, where states
were given more responsibility for the programs, and encouraged with funding cuts to
move more people off of benefits.  This has come under criticism as, while many people
did find work and the welfare rolls shrank, many of these same people are what we call
"underemployed", where they work full time but are worse off economically than when they
were receiving benefits.