Biggus (or possibly Al R),
Currently in adjusting the pension figure for inflation, do they use CPI or RPI?
Assuming CPI for the moment, if I understand this correctly, if I left in say late March 2012 having been on PA Level 33 for just over a year, my pension could amount to more as the calculation would use PA Level 32 that I had been on the previous year corrected by inflation?
So putting numbers on it, £75492 (PA Level 33) is outgunned by £76734 (PA Level 32 of £74427 increased by CPI of 3.1% (the September 2010 figure applied to pension calcs for the period April 2011 to March 2012 inclusive))?
In fact, thinking about it further, PA Level 31 of £71928 from FY09/10 corrected by CPI of 1.5% (September 2009 figure) and again by CPI of 3.1% (September 2010 figure) could have been higher if September 2009 CPI was higher, but actually ends up as £75635.
Given that we now have a pay freeze on and CPI is likely (well that's the Government's plan!) to be less in future years, leaving in March 2012 might just be the perfect sweet spot!!