8th Pay Commission Arrears: As the new year kicks off, the buzz around the Eighth Pay Commission is really picking up among central employees and pensioners nationwide. From government offices to employee groups, there’s one burning question on everyone’s mind: when will the boosted salary hit their bank accounts?

There’s also some confusion about the arrears. Will the old dues be paid all at once, or will the government dish it out in installments? The latest news about the Eighth Pay Commission has brought a mix of relief and worry to employees. Based on expert insights and current rules, let’s break down what changes you might see in your paycheck soon.

When will the increased salary show up in the account?

The info shared by Dr. Manjeet Patel, National President of the All India NPS Employees Federation, on this topic is super important. According to the rules, the Eighth Pay Commission is set to kick in on January 1, 2026, which means that technically, employees’ rights start from that date.

But, you know how government processes go—they take time. The government has given the Pay Commission about 18 months to get its report ready and submitted. Even after that report is in, the whole process of getting Cabinet approval and putting it into action could take another six months. If everything goes according to plan, employees should see their increased salaries by January 2028. But if the government shows some political will, we might get good news as early as July 2027.

The delay in rolling out the Pay Commission means that the arrears calculation will be quite hefty. Employees are worried they might get their arrears in bits and pieces. Dr. Manjeet Patel cleared this up, saying that historically, the central government has usually paid arrears in one go.

As the Eighth Pay Commission is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, arrears will be calculated starting from that date. No matter if the decision is made in 2027 or 2028, the arrears will be disbursed from the earlier date. The silver lining is that employees are likely to receive this amount in a lump sum, rather than in smaller payments.

Delay will negatively impact employees

While the idea of receiving arrears in one go is attractive, the postponement of the commission’s establishment and execution is leading to considerable financial setbacks for employees. If the commission had been put into action on schedule, employees would have timely received their enhanced House Rent Allowance (HRA) and Transport Allowance (TA).

Experts estimate that HRA and TA arrears are generally not paid retroactively. This implies that a Level 8 officer might incur a loss of around Rs 3.5 to Rs 4 lakh due to this delay. Additionally, the dearness allowance (DA) has already surpassed the 50% threshold, which should have been integrated into the basic salary according to regulations. This oversight has caused employees to earn less than what they are rightfully entitled to over the last two years.