Final answer:
The Elizabethan Poor Laws categorized the poor into those needing discipline and sustenance, laborers, and the genteel poor unable to maintain their status. Limited resources often meant only the destitute could receive parish aid, while property-owning poor were excluded.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Elizabethan Poor Laws were a response to the economic and social changes in England during the 16th and 17th centuries. The laws were an attempt to address the needs of the poor which were categorised in various ways.
First, the destitute, who were in dire need of both discipline and sustenance, were to be supported either through voluntary charity or compulsory tax provisions.
Second, the working poor, who were laborers contributing to the nation's wealth. Lastly, the 'genteel poor', those who were poor despite their social rank but were unable to maintain the lifestyle expected of their status.
Despite these measures, the Anglican parish often couldn't provide for all; they had limited resources and usually assisted only the destitute. Property ownership could disqualify one from receiving aid as it was seen as a measure of self-sufficiency, regardless of the economic realities.
Furthermore, James Oglethorpe's experiences led to the creation of the Colony of Georgia in America as a solution for the insolvent and working poor to escape poverty through smallholding farming.
However, the Elizabethan Poor Laws were a stopgap rather than a systemic solution to poverty and could lead to the separation of families, as the institutions could inhibit the integrity of family units.
Additionally, the Corn Laws of 1815 and subsequent economic downturns exacerbated the plight of the working poor, highlighting the flaws and limitations of the Poor Laws in addressing the complex issues of poverty.