The Ministry of Finance has issued two new Dearness Allowance (DA) orders for Central Government employees who are still receiving salaries under the 5th and 6th Central Pay Commission pay scales.
According to the Department of Expenditure’s Office Memorandums dated 29 October 2026, DA has increased to 497% for 5th CPC employees and 269% for 6th CPC employees, effective from 1 July 2026.
These orders provide additional financial relief to eligible employees continuing under older pay structures. The revised rates also create entitlement to the difference in DA from the effective date, wherever applicable.
5th and 6th Pay Commission DA Rates: What Has Changed?
The Government has revised DA rates under both older pay structures.
Both increases take effect from 1 July 2026, although the Office Memorandums were issued on 29 October 2026.
The new rates are calculated on the basic pay applicable under the respective pay structures.
Who is eligible for the wew DA rates?
The orders apply to eligible employees who continue to draw their salaries under the older Central Pay Commission structures.
The 5th CPC order covers employees receiving pay under the pre-revised 5th CPC pay scales.
The 6th CPC order covers employees whose salaries are still calculated using the 6th CPC pay scale and Grade Pay system.
The Department of Expenditure has also directed Ministries and Departments to bring these instructions to the notice of organisations under their administrative control that have adopted Central Government pay scales.
Employees already receiving salaries under the 7th CPC pay matrix are covered by a separate DA revision order.
How much will the monthly salary increase?
The additional DA depends on the employee’s existing basic pay.
For example, an employee receiving ₹20,000 basic pay under the 6th CPC will receive an additional 7% of basic pay as DA.
That means:
₹20,000 × 7% = ₹1,400 additional DA per month.
Similarly, an employee receiving ₹10,000 basic pay under the 5th CPC will receive an additional 14% of basic pay.
That means:
₹10,000 × 14% = ₹1,400 additional DA per month.
The following table shows illustrative increases.
Will employees receive DA Arrears from July 2026?
Yes, eligible employees are entitled to the DA difference from 1 July 2026, subject to applicable payment rules and payroll adjustments.
Since the revision orders were issued on 29 October 2026, employees may receive arrears for earlier months during which they were paid at the previous rates.
For an employee receiving ₹20,000 basic pay under the 6th CPC, the additional DA is ₹1,400 per month.
If the revised rate was not paid for July, August, September and October, the illustrative arrears for those four months would be ₹5,600.
The Government orders establish the effective date but do not specify a single payment date for all employees. The actual arrears will depend on the months already paid at revised rates.
Is this increase applicable to defence pensioners?
These Office Memorandums deal with Dearness Allowance on salaries, not Dearness Relief (DR) on pensions.
Therefore, defence pensioners and retired Central Government employees should not treat the 497% and 269% figures as revised DR rates for their pensions.
Pensioners must follow the applicable Dearness Relief orders issued by the concerned authorities.
Similarly, these revisions do not announce any new 8th Pay Commission fitment factor, minimum basic salary or pension revision.
What do the official govt orders say?
The Department of Expenditure issued the following memorandums on 29 October 2026:
| Pay Commission | Office Memorandum |
|---|---|
| 5th CPC | No. 1/2(iii)/2026-E.II(B) |
| 6th CPC | No. 1/2(ii)/2026-E.II(B) |
The 5th CPC order refers to the earlier DA instructions dated 3 October 1997, while the 6th CPC order continues the applicable provisions of the instructions dated 29 August 2008.
Both orders were issued by the Ministry of Finance and apply from 1 July 2026.
Conclusion
The Government’s latest DA revision provides increased allowances to eligible Central Government employees still working under the 5th and 6th Pay Commission pay scales.
The new rates of 497% and 269% are effective from 1 July 2026. Employees should check their basic pay, applicable pay structure and salary statements to verify the increase and any pending arrears.
1. Ministry of Finance — Department of Expenditure
5th CPC Dearness Allowance Revision, Office Memorandum No. 1/2(iii)/2026-E.II(B), dated 29 October 2026.
Official Department of Expenditure — DA Orders and Circulars
2. Ministry of Finance — Department of Expenditure
6th CPC Dearness Allowance Revision, Office Memorandum No. 1/2(ii)/2026-E.II(B), dated 29 October 2026.
Official 6th CPC DA Revision Order — 29 October 2026
3. Ministry of Finance — Department of Expenditure
Separate DA revision applicable to Central Government employees drawing pay under the 7th CPC.
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