Biggus, I see where you're coming from. In fact, it's even more insidious. The AFBRB only uses the high-rate RPI to determine reductions, but it uses the low-rate CPI to calculate inflation, ergo pay-rises. So, by using the CPI's 1.5% rate of inflation, they can claim that we have a payrise of 1.5% ABOVE inflation.
The CPI was adopted to help the Government "meet" its inflation target of 2%. It does not include the UK's housing market, which is the most dominant area concerning inflation here. So in fact, we have had bugger all, since the housing market continues to grow.
Bloody underhanded economics, pure and simple.