How does Dickens discuss poverty in A Christmas Carol?

Dickens blames the class systems of Victorian England for the selfishness of the rich, and makes special note of the Poor Laws, and their effectiveness in keep the underclass down. The author's characters are symbolic; Scrooge is a symbol of the greedy Victorian rich, while the Cratchit family is representative of the working poor. Dickens also uses character like the children of ignorance and Want to expose the plight of the poor.