What causes poverty? Is it possible to escape poverty by working hard, or is it primarily determined by the environment we were born into?
Environment plays a role. I'd say it's hard to be rich in western terms if someone is born into a hut village in Africa with limited education.
Working hard may bring a level of wealth, but in countries where Central Banking is the norm (that's most western countries), savings can be decimated by either devaluing currency or raising interest rates to sky high levels leaving people either cash poor or even unable to pay loans.
Sometimes in balanced economies individuals can develop habits that impoverish them, such as a drug or alcohol habit. Sometimes all that's needed is regular living-beyond-one's means and then borrowing for a while to keep that going. Now the individual must cut back or face ruin.
As Lamb pointed out, unexpected medical bills can cause poverty, same with un-expected and unplanned for hardship of other types.
