This DA calculator is for Central Government employees and pensioners who want to know exactly what the latest Dearness Allowance revision puts in their pocket. Pick your Level and cell from the 7th CPC Pay Matrix (or type your basic pay), and it shows your new monthly DA, the rise per month, the arrears for the months already gone, and the rise over a full year.
The rates are preloaded from the Department of Expenditure's office memorandum of 29 October 2026, which raised DA from 60% to 63% of basic pay with effect from 1 July 2026. Pensioners can switch to Dearness Relief (DR) on basic pension. A separate section lets you test fitment factors for the 8th Pay Commission, clearly marked as a projection because the Commission has not reported yet.
Reviewed by: CalcMojo Editorial Team
What the 1 July 2026 DA hike means
The Department of Expenditure (Ministry of Finance) issued OM No. 1/2(i)/2026-E.II(B) on 29 October 2026. It raises Dearness Allowance for Central Government employees from 60% to 63% of Basic Pay with effect from 1 July 2026. The Union Cabinet approved the same 3-point rise in Dearness Relief for pensioners on 28 October 2026.
The OM defines "Basic Pay" as the pay drawn in your Level of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix. It does not include special pay or any other kind of pay. DA stays a separate element of pay and is not treated as "pay" under FR 9(21).
How DA is calculated
The formula is simple:
Monthly DA = Basic Pay x DA rate / 100
Increase per month = Basic Pay x (new rate - old rate) / 100
Arrears = Increase per month x number of months already paid at the old rate
The OM sets the rounding rule. A DA amount with a fraction of 50 paise or more is rounded up to the next rupee, and a fraction under 50 paise is dropped. Dearness Relief orders for pensioners round any fraction of a rupee up to the next rupee. The calculator applies both rules.
If you receive Transport Allowance, DA is also paid on TA at the same rate. Enter your TA from your pay slip and the tool adds DA on TA to the results.
Worked example with the default numbers
The tool opens on Level 7, Cell 1 of the Pay Matrix, which is a basic pay of Rs 44,900.
| Item | At 60% | At 63% |
|---|---|---|
| DA on basic | Rs 26,940 | Rs 28,287 |
| Basic + DA | Rs 71,840 | Rs 73,187 |
- Increase per month: Rs 28,287 - Rs 26,940 = Rs 1,347
- Arrears for July, August and September 2026: 3 x Rs 1,347 = Rs 4,041
- Increase over a full year: 12 x Rs 1,347 = Rs 16,164
At the entry pay of Level 1 (Rs 18,000) the rise is Rs 540 a month. At Level 10, Cell 1 (Rs 56,100) it is Rs 1,683 a month.
A pensioner drawing a basic pension of Rs 27,000 gets DR of Rs 16,200 at 60% and Rs 17,010 at 63%, a rise of Rs 810 a month.
How many months of arrears?
Arrears cover the months between the date the new rate takes effect and the first salary that carries the new rate. For the 1 July 2026 revision, that is July, August and September (3 months) if your October 2026 salary was paid at 63%. If your office started the new rate from November pay, enter 4. The order itself does not fix a payment date, so the field is editable. Your office's arrear bill is the final word.
If you are under NPS, your contribution of 10% of basic + DA also applies to the DA arrears, so the cash you receive is a little lower than the gross arrears shown here.
Recent DA rates (7th CPC)
| Effective from | DA / DR rate | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2026 | 63% | +3 |
| 1 January 2026 | 60% | +2 |
| 1 July 2025 | 58% | +3 |
| 1 January 2025 | 55% | +2 |
| 1 July 2024 | 53% | - |
Each rate comes from the Department of Expenditure's office memorandum for that half-year (see Sources). DA is revised twice a year, from 1 January and 1 July, using the formula the Government accepted from the 7th CPC, which is based on the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers. Use the "DA revision" menu in the tool to run any of these steps.
The 7th CPC Pay Matrix built into the tool
The Level and Cell menus hold every cell of the civilian Pay Matrix in the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016, as amended on 15 June 2017. The matrix has 19 levels (1 to 18, plus 13A). Moving up one cell means about 3% more pay, rounded to the nearest Rs 100. Level 13 starts at Rs 1,23,100 after the 2017 amendment that raised its index of rationalisation from 2.57 to 2.67. Levels 17 and 18 have a single fixed pay of Rs 2,25,000 and Rs 2,50,000.
If your basic pay does not match a cell (for example after a pay protection order), choose "Custom" and type it in.
8th Pay Commission: where things stand
The Government constituted the Eighth Central Pay Commission by a resolution dated 3 November 2025. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai is the Chairperson, Prof. Pulak Ghosh a part-time Member and Shri Pankaj Jain the Member-Secretary. The resolution asks the Commission to make its recommendations within 18 months of its constitution. As of November 2026 it has not submitted its report. No fitment factor, pay matrix or effective date has been announced. Figures you see quoted elsewhere are demands from staff associations or guesses.
That is why the projection section is a slider, not a forecast.
How the fitment factor projection works
At a pay commission, today's basic pay is multiplied by a fitment factor to give the new basic pay, and DA restarts at 0%. So a fitment factor has to be compared with today's basic + DA, not with basic alone.
Projected basic = current basic x fitment factor
Real change = projected basic - (current basic + DA)
With the defaults (basic Rs 44,900, DA 63%, factor 2.00): projected basic is Rs 89,800 against Rs 73,187 today, a real rise of Rs 16,613 or 22.7%.
The tool shows two reference points:
- Break-even factor = 1 + DA rate. At 63% DA that is 1.63. Any factor below it would leave you with less than you get now.
- 7th CPC-style factor. The 7th CPC used 2.57 when DA was 125%. Of that, 2.25 simply absorbed DA and the rest was a real rise of about 14%. Repeating that on 63% DA gives about 1.86.
The actual 8th CPC result could be different: the new pay will be fixed to a cell in a new matrix, minimum pay may be set separately, and allowances will be revised.
Pensioners and Dearness Relief
Dearness Relief is paid on basic pension or basic family pension, including any additional pension paid after age 80. Enter that total as "basic pension". The minimum pension under the 7th CPC is Rs 9,000, so at 63% the minimum DR is Rs 5,670 a month. The 8th CPC projection works the same way for pension, since pension is also revised by a fitment factor.
Who this does not cover
This calculator follows the Central Government's 7th CPC orders. Employees still on 5th or 6th CPC pay scales have separate, much higher DA percentages. State government employees, PSU staff on industrial DA and bank staff follow their own orders. Armed Forces and Railway employees get separate orders from their ministries, usually at the same rate.
For your take-home after tax, use the income tax calculator. If you want to see how a higher basic + DA lifts your retirement benefits, try the gratuity calculator and the NPS calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current DA rate for Central Government employees?
63% of basic pay from 1 July 2026, under Department of Expenditure OM No. 1/2(i)/2026-E.II(B) dated 29 October 2026. It was 60% from 1 January 2026.
How much will my salary increase with the 3% DA hike?
Multiply your basic pay by 3%. On a basic pay of Rs 44,900 the rise is Rs 1,347 a month, or Rs 16,164 a year. If you get Transport Allowance, DA on TA rises too.
How are DA arrears calculated?
Arrears equal the monthly increase multiplied by the number of months already paid at the old rate. For the 1 July 2026 revision that is usually July to September, so 3 months, if October pay carried the new rate.
Is DA calculated on basic pay plus any other pay?
No. The DA order says Basic Pay means the pay in your Level of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix and excludes special pay and other kinds of pay.
What is the Dearness Relief rate for pensioners?
Also 63% of basic pension or family pension from 1 July 2026, including additional pension for those aged 80 and above. The Cabinet approved it on 28 October 2026.
Has the 8th Pay Commission announced a fitment factor?
No. The Commission was constituted on 3 November 2025 and has 18 months to report. As of November 2026 no fitment factor, pay matrix or implementation date has been announced. Treat any figure, including the slider here, as a projection.
Why is a fitment factor of 1.63 the break-even point?
Because DA is merged into pay at a pay commission and restarts at 0%. With DA at 63%, basic + DA is 1.63 times basic, so a factor of 1.63 only keeps your pay where it is.
Is DA taxable?
Yes. DA is fully taxable as salary income for serving employees, and DR is taxable along with pension. DA arrears are taxed in the year you receive them, and relief under Section 89 may be available for arrears relating to earlier years. ---
Sources & Methodology
- Department of Expenditure OM No. 1/2(i)/2026-E.II(B), 29 October 2026 (DA 60% to 63% from 01.07.2026) — current rate, definition of Basic Pay, rounding rule
- Department of Expenditure OM No. 1/1(i)/2026-E.II(B), 22 April 2026 (DA 58% to 60% from 01.01.2026) — previous rate
- Department of Expenditure OM No. 1/1(1)/2025-E.II(B), 2 April 2025 (DA 53% to 55% from 01.01.2025) — rate history
- Department of Expenditure: list of Dearness Allowance orders — order numbers and dates for each revision
- PIB, 28 October 2026: Cabinet approves DA and Dearness Relief from 1 July 2026 — DR for pensioners at 63%
- Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) (Amendment) Rules, 2017, G.S.R. 592(E) — the complete Pay Matrix used in the tool, checked cell by cell
- Resolution constituting the Eighth Central Pay Commission, 3 November 2025 — members, terms of reference, 18-month deadline
- Methodology: DA = basic x rate, rounded per the DoE OM (50 paise and above up). DR uses the pension orders' rule (any fraction up). The 8th CPC section multiplies basic by the chosen factor and compares it with today's basic + DA. The DoP&PW office memorandum for DR from 1 July 2026 (reported as dated 4 November 2026) could not be opened on an official site when this page was checked, so the DR rate is taken from the Cabinet decision.
This calculator gives estimates based on Government of India orders as of November 2026. Your actual DA, DR and arrears are decided by your Drawing and Disbursing Officer or pension disbursing bank. The 8th Pay Commission section is a projection, not an announcement. ---
Data accurate as of: November 2026