It's been over six months since the 8th Pay Commission was set up in January. The commission has been given 18 months to submit its report on the salary and pension structure of central government employees and pensioners. It is currently holding consultations and meetings with different stakeholders before finalising its recommendations.
The panel will review issues such as pay revision, dearness allowance, pension benefits and the rising cost of living. The 8th Pay Commission is expected to benefit around 50 lakh central government employees and nearly 65 lakh pensioners.
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While the revised pay structure is scheduled to take effect from Jan. 1, 2026, reports believe that its implementation may be delayed until April 2027.
In that case, employees could receive arrears for 15 months in a lump sum, which may range from Rs 7 lakh and above depending on the approved fitment factor.
Fitment factor is a multiplier used to calculate the revised basic pay in the new structure. The fitment factor in the 7th Pay Commission was 2.57. In the 6th Pay, the basic pay at the entry level of the pay matrix stood at Rs 7,000. To arrive at the new basic pay in 7th Pay, the fitment factor of 2.57 was used.
Rs 7,000 x 2.57 = Rs 18,000
What Govt Employees Could Receive As Arrears
Arrears are the unpaid salary dues that accumulate when a revised pay structure is implemented after a delay. If the new pay scales take effect from Jan. 1, 2026, but are approved later, employees will receive the difference between their old and revised salaries for the delayed period as arrears.
For instance, entry level employees in the 7th could receive the following arrears after the implementation of the new structure:
Minimum Basic Salary (Level 1 Employees ) in 7th Pay - Rs 18,000
New Basic Pay As Per Demanded 3.68 Fitment Factor: Rs 66,240
Monthly Salary Difference (Increase): Rs 48,240
Estimated Arrears for 15 months (excluding DA): Rs 7,23,600
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Employees at higher levels will be entitled to higher arrears as their revised salaries increase by a larger amount. To be clear, the commission has not taken any decision on the fitment factor yet. While employee bodies have been demanding a fitment factor of 3 or above, the final decision may be more modest.
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