8th Pay Commission Latest Update: The 8th Pay Commission is a hot topic right now among central government employees. There’s a lot of chatter about it on social media, with various claims being made. This has led to a lot of confusion. Many people think that the 8th Pay Commission will kick in this January and that their salaries will go up. There’s also a lot of uncertainty about the merging of basic salary and DA. Let’s break down 10 key points about the 8th Pay Commission to clear up any misunderstandings.
Will the 8th Pay Commission start in January?
Nope. Even though the government has given the green light for the 8th Pay Commission, the final report is expected to take around 18 months to complete. So, it definitely won’t be rolled out in January 2026. What about salary increases in January? There’s no clear answer to that either, since salaries won’t be adjusted until the 8th Pay Commission report is out.
Are DA and HRA going to be cut?
Despite some claims floating around on social media that DA and HRA will be eliminated under the 8th Pay Commission, the government has set the record straight. They’ve confirmed that DA and HRA will continue to be paid just like before.
How much of a salary bump can we expect from the 8th Pay Commission?
The government hasn’t shared any official numbers on this yet. Typically, these details come out only after the reports are published. However, based on current trends, we could see salaries and pensions rise by 30% to 34%.
To calculate this, a fitment factor formula is used. This formula takes the old salary and multiplies it by a new factor to find the new salary. It’s believed that this factor could be around 2.86 or even higher under the 8th Pay Commission. If that happens, we could see some significant salary increases.
How will DA/DR increase?
DA/DR applies to basic salary. Both DA and DR rates are determined based on the AICPI-IW index, which is revised every six months. Since DA and DR rates are equal, pensioners will also benefit from this. Even though the salaries of central government employees will increase from January 1, 2026, they will only be credited to their accounts after the 8th Pay Commission report is released. This means that salaries will be credited with arrears after the report is released.