Central Govt Employees Await DA Hike: 2% Increase Expected, Effective Jan 2026

• Central government employees and pensioners are awaiting the January 2026 Dearness Allowance (DA) hike announcement, now expected in April 2026.
• DA is likely to increase by 2 percentage points, from 58% to 60%, based on CPI-IW data and 7th Pay Commission formula.
• The revision will benefit over one crore central government employees and pensioners, effective from January 1, 2026.
• Delay is attributed to the transition between the 7th and 8th Pay Commissions; 8th Pay Commission recommendations are pending.
• This will be the first DA hike after the 7th Pay Commission's tenure ended, with DA merging into basic pay when the new commission's recommendations are implemented.