In one case, it would be unreasonable for any poverty line, however defined to go below such a floor. In the other, the point is moot, as such an absolute need cannot be measured independently of the distribution of welfare. Whether one takes the first or the second view has implications for how relative poverty lines are set in countries where standard relative poverty lines (such as 50% of the median) equate with a standard of living below cost-of-basic-needs defined by absolute poverty lines. This is consistent with recent advances in poverty measurement (see Ravallion and Chen, 2009).