Centre approves 30-day bonus for government employees: Check eligibility, ₹6,908 payout and service rules

The Centre has approved a 30-day ad-hoc bonus for eligible Central government employees for 2025-26. The payout can reach ₹6,908 under the ₹7,000 monthly calculation ceiling, with pro-rata payments for shorter service and separate eligibility rules for casual labourers.

The Centre has approved a 30-day non-productivity-linked (ad-hoc) bonus for eligible Central government employees for the accounting year 2025-26. The bonus is calculated using a monthly emoluments ceiling of ₹7,000, translating into a maximum payout of ₹6,908 for 30 days when an employee’s average monthly emoluments meet or exceed the ceiling. Employees with lower average emoluments will receive a lower amount.

The Department of Expenditure, under the Ministry of Finance, issued the office memorandum on 15 October 2026, conveying the President’s sanction for the bonus. The approval covers Group C employees and non-gazetted Group B employees who are not covered by a productivity-linked bonus scheme.

Eligible personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces and the Armed Forces are also covered. The order extends to employees of Union Territory administrations that follow the Central government’s emolument structure and are not covered by another bonus or ex-gratia scheme.

Who is eligible for the ad-hoc bonus?

Central government employees must have completed at least six months of continuous service during 2025-26 to qualify. Under the general eligibility rule, they must also have been in service on 31 March 2026.

Employees who completed between six months and one year of eligible service will receive the bonus on a pro-rata basis. The eligible period is calculated in months, rounded to the nearest whole month.

The memorandum’s annexure clarifies that certain employees who retired or died before 31 March 2026 can also qualify. As a special case, employees who superannuated, retired on medical invalidation or died before that date are eligible for a proportionate bonus if they had completed at least six months of regular service during the year.