Researchers have found circa 1200-1350 in Denmark and Norway, the legal framework for managing urban poverty was largely based on distinctions between “deserving” and “undeserving” poor. Those deemed to be deserving were known as  personae miserabiles, and these people could expect some support from a charity system that relied primarily on religious organizations, such as monasteries. Researchers found in Norway, the emphasis was more on prevention and keeping people out of poverty through legislation, while in Denmark a kind of welfare system arose that provided aid to those already suffering from poverty. The Danish approach tended to be more long-term oriented and involved providing housing and health care.

Research referred to in Brief here

Image courtesy of interviewee