My wife worked with a woman a few years ago in the Bay Area who had a friend or relative (I've forgotten which) who told my wife's co-worker she was a fool for working.
Your story, and what you experienced, is exactly what seems to happen with people who have been on public assistance their entire lives and the lives of the generation(s) before them. I've always said that we should require some sort of public work to obtain public assistance. There are places in SF (like all cities) that are absolute trash heaps. "Here's a broom, shovel and trash bags. I'll be at the end of the lot with your unemployment/welfare check." Our cities would be much nicer places to live.
Dispute what she says.