8th Pay Commission: Level 15-18 Employees May Get Monthly HRA up to INR 1.93 Lakh Under 2.57 Fitment Factor
Central government employees in Pay Matrix Levels 15 to 18, the senior most rungs of the bureaucracy, could see a sharp jump in their House Rent Allowance under the proposed 8th Pay Commission if a fitment factor of 2.57 is eventually approved.
Central government employees in Pay Matrix Levels 15 to 18, the senior most rungs of the bureaucracy, could see a sharp jump in their House Rent Allowance under the proposed 8th Pay Commission if a fitment factor of 2.57 is eventually approved. Estimates suggest HRA for Level 17 employees posted in X category cities could rise to as much as INR 1,93,000 a month, though these figures remain illustrative at this stage since the government has not yet finalised the fitment factor or the revised pay structure.
Estimated HRA Under Different Fitment Factors
The projections are based on the existing HRA framework, under which employees posted in X category cities draw the highest HRA as a percentage of their revised basic pay. Since HRA is computed on basic salary, a higher fitment factor would automatically push up the HRA amount as well.
According to current estimates, employees in the higher pay levels could see the following monthly HRA in X category cities if a 2.57 fitment factor is adopted:
- Level 15: Up to INR 1,40,476
- Level 16: Up to INR 1,58,055
- Level 17: Up to INR 1,93,000
- Level 18: HRA would also rise substantially in line with the revised basic pay, though the exact figure will depend on the final pay matrix approved by the government. 8th Pay Commission: Fitment Factor Decision Still Pending As Stakeholder Consultations Continue.
Final Decision Yet To Be Taken
The 8th Pay Commission is expected to revise salaries and allowances for nearly 1.1 crore central government employees and pensioners. However, the commission is yet to submit its recommendations, and the Centre has not approved any fitment factor so far.
Multiple fitment factors, including 2.0, 2.1, 2.28, and 2.57, are currently under discussion in various projections doing the rounds. The actual revision in salaries and HRA will hinge on what the commission eventually recommends and what the government finally approves. 8th Pay Commission Update: Employee Unions Demand Pay Matrix Overhaul, Higher Minimum Salary.
Why HRA Could Increase
The fitment factor is the multiplier used to arrive at revised basic pay. Since HRA is calculated as a percentage of basic pay, any rise in the fitment factor directly pushes up the HRA amount, even if the HRA rates themselves stay unchanged.
Some employee organisations have separately demanded higher HRA rates under the 8th Pay Commission, but no decision has been taken on those demands yet.
Higher Basic Pay May Not Mean Similar Percentage Rise
While employees in senior pay levels stand to gain a much larger HRA in absolute terms, experts point out that the percentage increase in gross salary for Levels 11 to 18 could be comparatively lower than that for junior employees, given their already higher base salaries. Estimates suggest the maximum gross salary increase for these senior levels could be around 68 percent even under a 2.57 fitment factor.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2026 01:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
