for example budgetary restrictions may lead to a desire to better target the reference programme so as to reduce its outlay thereby lowering the eligibility line and therefore reducing measured poverty in a situation where standards of living both in absolute and relative terms are likely to fall in a country where the national poverty line accurately reflects societys views of what is meant by poverty the poverty line is the natural measure of policy effectiveness and outcomes as outlined above it matters how such a poverty line is defined and it matters even more how such a poverty line is updated the use of a poverty line that varies systematically at predetermined intervals with objective and verifiable data is superior to the use of poverty lines whose evolution leaves scope for political influence or methodological changes