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mpc: 15 The continued strength of consumption growth was unexpected. Real post-tax wages per head had been growing quite modestly over the past year, indeed on some measures they had actually fallen in the second quarter of 2003; but employment was growing and non-wage components had made a strong contribution to household income growth in the second and third quarters of 2003. Changes in tax credits had been implemented in recent quarters, and take-up had exceeded expectations; that and the new pension credit, which was introduced in October 2003, would continue to be a factor in households' spending decisions for a while yet. It was possible that these fiscal changes had particularly benefited households with a high marginal propensity to consume, and so were having a greater effect on consumption growth than had previously been allowed for in the Committee's projections.