AstraZeneca Pension Changes

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I wanted to highlight a situation I have not found discussed in this forum, which may affect quite a few people, and also ask a question.

I am a deferred member of the AstraZeneca final salary pension scheme – pre-1996 Retirement Account rules - having been made redundant in 2000.
Reading many many threads on this Forum has provided lots of useful information [thank you to all!] I was prompted to ask AZ why they had not published figures for revalution of pensions since November 2008. To cut a long story short ….
2009 – negative RPI, therefore no increase
2010 – AZ trustees are considering moving from RPI index to CPI index to calculate revaluation. Havnt yet decided …. No official information on this has been published.

If you choose to take pension in 2011, it will be at the 2008 rate; when they decide on the revaluation measure, then the appropriate increase will be backdated.

Brochures provided by AZ say increases of deferred pension will be in line with RPI, however Scheme rules say increases will be inline with “Revaluation Laws” which means the laws as to revaluation of accrued benefits set out in Chapter II of Part IV of the Pension Schemes Act 1993.

So for revaluation of deferred benefits, we must wait on the Trustees decision.

However, for pensions in payment, Scheme rules say (point 8.3)
“Each pension in payment (except for any Relevant Pension) will increase by 5% on 1 November in each year except that no pension will be increased in any year by more than the increase in the Retail Prices Index in the 12 months to the previous July. “

i.e. no mention of the Pensions Scheme Act 1993.

Question: Would the Trustees therefore be allowed under the current Scheme Rules to change from RPI to CPI for pensions in payment?

Any thoughts or comments?