Government Expected to Announce January 2026 Dearness Allowance Hike Soon

Central government employees and pensioners await the January 2026 Dearness Allowance (DA) hike announcement, expected around late March or early April, following the usual pattern near Holi. The DA, currently at 58%, is likely to increase by 2 percentage points to 60%, with a possibility of a 3% rise. The revised DA will be effective from January 1, 2026, with arrears payable for previous months. This revision follows the completion of the 7th Pay Commission, while the 8th Pay Commission's recommendations are pending.