8th Pay Commission: These days, central government employees and pensioners are wondering: will their salaries automatically go up starting January 1, 2026, or will they have to hold on a bit longer? The 7th Pay Commission’s 10-year term wraps up on December 31, 2025. So, there’s a lot of hope riding on the 8th Pay Commission.
As per government sources and employee groups, until the 8th Pay Commission kicks in, employees will keep getting their salaries and dearness allowance (DA) based on the 7th Pay Commission. The good news is that once the 8th Pay Commission is in place, the raised salary is expected to be backdated to January 1, 2026.
When will the 8th Pay Commission actually start?
The government announced the 8th Pay Commission in November 2024. They’ve got 18 months to hand in their report to the government, which means it could be ready by May 2027. After that, the Group of Ministers (GoM) will take a look at it, and then the Cabinet will make a call. So, experts think the 8th Pay Commission might roll out by late 2027 or early 2028.
Will you see a salary bump from January 1, 2026?
Employee unions are saying that even if the Pay Commission is delayed, the salary increase should still kick in on January 1, 2026. This has been the trend in the past. The 7th Pay Commission started on January 1, 2016, the 6th on January 1, 2006, and previous Pay Commissions followed the same pattern every 10 years.
But there’s a twist this time. The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Pay Commission doesn’t clearly mention when the pay raise will start. Because of this, employee unions have reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking for January 1, 2026, to be officially included as the start date in the ToR.
How much can the salary increase?
Now the biggest question is how much will salaries increase under the 8th Pay Commission? According to experts, the fitment factor will be key to this increase. Reports suggest that the fitment factor could range between 1.83 and 2.46. If the fitment factor is 1.83, the current minimum basic salary of Rs 18,000 could rise to approximately Rs 32,940. However, if it reaches 2.46, the minimum salary could reach approximately Rs 44,280.
Who will benefit?
The 8th Pay Commission will benefit approximately 5 million central government employees and over 6.5 million pensioners. Changes in salaries, pensions, and allowances will increase their income and mitigate the impact of inflation. However, experts say a significant increase of up to 54% is unlikely, as it could increase the government’s financial burden.