8th Pay Commission Arrears: How They Will Be Calculated

Arrears are the gap between the pay you were actually paid and the pay you would have got if the revised pay had applied from its effective date. Whether there will be 8th CPC arrears, and how many months they cover, depends on two dates the government has not yet fixed: the date the new pay takes effect and the date it is actually paid. This guide explains how the calculation works and shows what different fitment factors would mean, using today’s real DA rate.

Arrears formula

For each month between the effective date and the first month of revised pay:

Monthly arrears = (revised basic pay + DA on revised pay + allowances on revised pay) − (pay, DA and allowances actually drawn)

Then add up the months. Two points are often missed:

• DA already paid is deducted. When a new pay commission takes effect, the DA you were getting is absorbed into the new basic pay. In 2016 the 7th CPC fitment factor of 2.57 included a factor of 2.25 for DA of 125%, so the real rise was 14.29% (Cabinet decision, 29 Jun 2016). Confirmed Arrears are worked out on that real rise, not on the gross jump in basic pay.
• DA on the revised pay restarts from a low base. Under the 7th CPC, DA in the revised pay structure was zero from 1 January 2016 and the first instalment was 2% from 1 July 2016 (DoE OM, 4 Nov 2016). Confirmed What happens under the 8th CPC will depend on its report.

What a fitment factor would mean for arrears

The table shows the monthly gap between the revised basic pay and what you get now (basic pay plus 60% DA) at three illustrative fitment factors. 2.57 is the factor used for the 7th CPC; 2.0 and 2.28 are round figures for comparison. None of them is an official or expected figure. Estimate

7th CPC level	Entry basic pay	Basic + 60% DA today	Gap per month at 2.0	at 2.28	at 2.57
Level 1	₹18,000	₹28,800	₹7,200	₹12,240	₹17,460
Level 2	₹19,900	₹31,840	₹7,960	₹13,532	₹19,303
Level 3	₹21,700	₹34,720	₹8,680	₹14,756	₹21,049
Level 4	₹25,500	₹40,800	₹10,200	₹17,340	₹24,735
Level 5	₹29,200	₹46,720	₹11,680	₹19,856	₹28,324
Level 7	₹44,900	₹71,840	₹17,960	₹30,532	₹43,553
Level 10	₹56,100	₹89,760	₹22,440	₹38,148	₹54,417

Basic pay: first cell of each level, CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016. Confirmed Gap = (basic × factor) − (basic × 1.60). The table assumes DA on the revised pay is 0% and the old DA stays at 60% for the whole period; it leaves out HRA and other allowances. Estimate

How to use it: multiply the monthly gap by the number of months between the effective date and the month revised pay starts. For example, a Level 1 employee at a factor of 2.28 would get about ₹1,46,880 for 12 months of arrears, before deductions. Estimate If the July 2026 DA instalment is announced, the “today” column goes up and the gaps get smaller.

A factor of 1.60 would only match what you get now with DA at 60%. Anything below that would not increase pay at all. Estimate

Pensioners

For pensioners the same logic applies to basic pension and Dearness Relief. Example: basic pension ₹25,000 + 60% DR = ₹40,000 a month today. At a factor of 2.28 the revised pension would be ₹57,000, a gap of about ₹17,000 a month; at 2.0 the gap would be about ₹10,000. Estimate How pensions are revised (a straight multiplier, as in 2016, or notional pay fixation) will depend on the 8th CPC report and the government’s decision. The 8th CPC’s terms of reference include a review of pensions and gratuity (Gazette resolution, para 2(e)). Confirmed About 68.27 lakh pensioners and 50.46 lakh employees receive DA/DR (PIB, 18 Apr 2026). Confirmed

Use our 8th CPC pension calculator to try your own figures.

Deductions from arrears

• NPS / UPS: the employee contribution (10% of basic pay + DA) is usually deducted from pay arrears, with the government’s share credited too. Check your PAO’s order when it is issued.
• Income tax: arrears are taxable as salary in the year you receive them. If they push you into a higher slab, you can claim relief: Section 89(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, now Section 157 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 for income from 1 April 2026 (Income Tax Department). File the relief form before your return.
• GPF / other recoveries as applicable to you.

When could arrears be paid?

Step	Date	Status
Terms of Reference approved by Cabinet	28 Oct 2025	Confirmed PIB
Commission constituted (Gazette resolution)	3 Nov 2025	Confirmed Gazette
Report due (18 months from constitution)	By about May 2027	Confirmed deadline; actual date not known
Effective date of revised pay	“Normally expected from 01.01.2026” (PIB); not decided	Proposed
Government decision, notification and arrears	After the report	Not known

For comparison, the 7th CPC was implemented within 6 months of its due date and its arrears were paid in the same financial year, 2016-17 (Cabinet decision, 29 Jun 2016). Confirmed That is history, not a promise for the 8th CPC. Follow the latest dates on our 8th CPC timeline.

Frequently asked questions

Will I get 8th Pay Commission arrears from January 2026?

Only if the government fixes 1 January 2026 as the effective date and pays revised pay later. PIB has said the effect “would normally be expected” from that date, but nothing has been decided. Proposed

How much will my arrears be?

No one can say yet, because the fitment factor and effective date are not known. The table above shows the monthly gap at illustrative factors. Estimate

Is DA included in arrears?

The DA you were already paid is set off against the revised pay, and DA on the revised pay then applies at whatever rate is notified for that period. That is why arrears are much smaller than “new basic minus old basic”.