Middle-class suburbanites, including adults and teenagers, draw sharp distinctions between themselves and the lower-class welfare poor with respect to work orientations. Certain distinctions are appropriate. The poor reveal less confidence in themselves and greater acceptance of welfare than the middle class. But middle-class respondents mistakenly deny that the work ethic is strong among the poor, fundamentally misunderstand how high work ethic leads to increased feelings of insecurity, and mistakenly project for the poor a strong identification of welfare income with income from quasi-illegal sources. These misperceptions encourage middle-class political leaders and their constituents to support so-called welfare reform which emphasizes a strong work requirement and below-poverty level base payments. A better understanding of interclass perceptions should lead to better public policies and programs regarding the poor.