There is a world of difference between the social status of the grandchild of an aristo who gambled away the family fortune, and a chav single mother. The former has access to contacts, a peer group, a social network (call it what you will) and even people they deal with every day will treat them with more respect. This at least is nothing to do with actual spending power.

But our hypothetical ex-aristo would be rejected immediately if she tried to become working-class (tho' probably she could become a chav).