What do the poor owe society?
Not sure in this context, of what "society" is, but I'll attempt an answer here.
I think viewing the "poor" as a single unified group is a fallacy. Some poor owe "society", if "society" has given them something and as a condition of that gift those particular "poor" agreed to conditions of that gift. In that context THOSE poor owe the giver(s) the fulfillment of their voluntary obligation they committed themselves to.
Some "poor" do not owe anyone anything monetarily, because they have chosen not to accept the yoke of "government charity", good for them I say. I think all individuals regardless of their financial situation should honor their word and do what they commit to doing. The "poor" are no different in that regard than any other financial caste in my book. We can only "owe" what we have voluntarily consented to, ie a contractual obligation we have agreed to fulfill with the exceptin being if we have aggressed against another, we owe them restituion. Financial circumstances don't change that. In a different context, we all "owe" others mutual respect. Compassion is nice, but we don't "owe" it as a condition of our existence to another in the sense that we must provide for another. We simpy "owe" them the right to provide for themselves and they us in a reciprocity of mutual respect.
Some poor "owe" others. Some don't. Society as a unified group isn't owed anything by the fictional unified group of "the poor". Lumping "the poor" into a group fails to recognize the individual and their ability to overcome circumstances or obligate themselves or not obligate themselves.