Al R,
That's exactly what I thought when the news broke. A feeling of dread. A lot of the civil servants I know got on to the final salary scheme before it closed (nearly ten years ago now). To be told that it's closing anyway is going to be the proverbial nightmare.
One of the biggest draws to public sector work was the pension - the pay below the senior civil service is, to say the least, crap.
I wouldn't be surprised to see colleagues leaving the service and thereby opening the way for more higher-paid temporary consultants to fill the gaps. It's a false economy.