DA Hike 2026: Central Govt Employees Likely To Get An Update On October 28; Here’s Why

If the Cabinet meets on October 28, employees will be watching for an official announcement on the DA revision. (Image Source: Pixabay)

Central government employees are still waiting for confirmation of the Dearness Allowance (DA) hike for July 2026. The latest Cabinet meeting held on October 14 concluded without an announcement on the expected revision, prolonging uncertainty over the next increase for millions of beneficiaries. Employees had also been looking for an update last week. However, the government did not hold its regular weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, October 22, following Dussehra. Attention has now shifted to the next scheduled meeting, expected on October 28, 2026.

While October 28 could bring an update, the revised DA rate and the payment schedule will become clear only after an official government announcement.

The existing DA rate for central government employees stands at 60 per cent of basic salary. The Union Cabinet approved a 2 percentage-point increase on April 18, 2026, taking the rate from 58 per cent to 60 per cent, effective January 1, 2026, according to a Ministry of Finance release.

Dearness Allowance is a salary component intended to help government employees manage the impact of inflation on their household expenses.

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy