I have to admit, we are really well looked after at BT regarding our pension and I have a BT-recommended financial/pensions advisor helping me with the ever changing decision making.
I am glad to hear that the relationship between Company, Trustees, and scheme members seems amiccable. That is good.
But do not forget, the trustees have legal duties to manage the scheme. Such schemes (in the general case, not BT specific) can, and will, employ dodgy wide-boy lawyers, who will pour over the small legalese print in the deeds, looking for loopholes in vageuly worded terms, to reduce benefits.
I do speak from experience. My own pension was with a well-liked and respected employer, and we all enjoyed a lot of trust between employees, employer, and the scheme. Over the years the Company transformed its structure, becoming more isolated and as the pensions deficit grew, the wide-boy lawyers got drawn in. Loopholes were found and benefits were slashed, without sympathy, wherever it could legally be done. The company didn’t care, because the old DB scheme had been closed and most employees by then were on the newer money purchase plan. It can happen anywhere, and probably will happen everywhere, just a question of when.
As a scheme member I would never, ever, trust advice that came from a scheme trustee. Legally they are probably not allowed to give advice, but they can issue communications that look like and sound like advice, tread carefully.