The 8th Pay Commission is wrapping up its three-day consultation in Chandigarh on Friday, September 18, as discussions with employee unions, pensioner groups, associations and other eligible stakeholders continue. The commission is scheduled to hold its next round of meetings in Bengaluru on October 7 and 8, 2026. September 18 is also the deadline for eligible organisations and stakeholders to submit the required documentation in the prescribed format for participation in the Bengaluru meetings. Here is a look at the existing DR framework for central government pensioners and some of the key proposals submitted by employee and pensioner organisations to the 8th Pay Commission. The 8th Pay Commission was established by the central government on November 3, 2025, with an 18-month mandate. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai heads the panel, while Pulak Ghosh serves as a part-time member and Pankaj Jain is the member-secretary. The commission has now crossed the 10-month mark of its tenure. During this period, it has conducted consultations across several parts of the country, including Delhi, Ladakh, West Bengal, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. The Chandigarh visit is part of the commission's wider consultation exercise aimed at gathering views from recognised employee bodies, pensioner organisations and other stakeholders before its recommendations are finalised. The panel is expected to travel to Bengaluru next, with meetings scheduled for October 7 and 8. The consultation process is intended to give stakeholders an opportunity to put forward their demands on pay, pensions, allowances and other service-related matters. Dearness Relief is payable to eligible central government pensioners and family pensioners at rates notified by the government from time to time. Pension-paying banks calculate the applicable amount and credit DR along with the pension. The treatment can vary in certain circumstances. For instance, a retired pensioner who takes up re-employment generally cannot receive DR for the duration of that employment, although government rules provide for specific exceptions. Family pensioners are treated differently in certain cases. DR on family pension can continue even when the beneficiary is employed, subject to the applicable conditions and rules. Under the existing calculation framework, the monthly DR amount is linked to the basic pension and the applicable DR percentage. The basic calculation is: Monthly DR = Basic Pension × Current DR Rate ÷ 100 The gross pension can then be calculated by adding the applicable DR to the basic pension, after accounting for any relevant deduction, including the commuted portion of pension where applicable. For example, if a pensioner receives a basic pension of Rs 40,000 and the applicable DR rate is 60 per cent, the monthly DR would work out to Rs 24,000. That would take the pensioner's gross amount to Rs 64,000 before accounting for any applicable deductions. If a revised DR rate is announced retrospectively, arrears can also be calculated by applying the difference between the new and old rates to the basic pension for the relevant period.