Dearness Allowance: Payment of 3-month DA arrears pending; 'severe discontent' among employees, says CCGEW

The Central government generally announces the DA hike twice a year in January and July to help reduce the impact of inflation on employees' take-home salary.

The DA hike for the January cycle is usually announced by the end of March. Moreover, such announcements also make the employees eligible for 3 months of arrears on account of the DA hike.

However, it has been different in 2026. The government has not yet announced a DA hike even as 10 days of April 2026 have passed. Employees' representatives say that the delay in the DA hike announcement has led to discontent among both employees and pensioners.

Recently, the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers (CCGEW) wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, drawing her attention to the growing discontent among employees due to the delay in the DA hike announcement.

"The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Worker's would like to draw your kind attention towards non declaration of Due installments of DA/DR w.e.f. 01.01.2026, normally it used to be declared in the last week of March and Arrears of the three months paid in first week of April every year," CCGEW said in its letter to the FM dated April 8, 2026.

"Severe discontent and apprehensions is there amongst the Employees and Pensioners, over delay in declaration of the same. The Confederation beseech your personal intervention in the matter and request to your good self to kindly cause the Declaration/lssuance of the DA/DR orders at the earliest," they added.

Employees are expecting a 2% hike in DA to be announced by the Central government for the January cycle.