I think people will take whatever pressure relief they are offered, be it public assistance, charity, or tax-breaks. After a lifetime of having rope after rope tossed to her, this woman expects another, and who can blame her for expecting that. It's perfectly reasonable for her to expect the state to save her based on her experiences. I don't think she is the problem.
The culture of entitlement stems from decades of bloated social services programs that have unfortunately become as much a part of American life as death and taxes.