Most economists probably would be surprised if it could actually work in general. Cash handouts do not cause the behavioral changes necessary for individuals to develop sustainable habits. Most poor people are not poor because they don’t have access to the market, but because they either don’t know what to do, or they don’t have the discipline to do what they know they should. Cash handouts can make this even worse as people become complacent and dependent on them, and the impetus to work out a sustainable solution dissolves. The implementation of welfare programs in the US during the 60s has a strong negative correlation with progress in lower income (and often minority) communities.

An ideal solution might involve temporary relief for catastrophic events that can help an otherwise mostly sustainable lifestyle, but avoid misaligning incentives in a way that makes the problem even worse.