Dress allowance for central government employees
Updated 11 October 2026
Since 1 July 2017, central government employees who must wear a uniform get a single dress allowance, paid once a year in July, in place of the old uniform, washing, shoe and kit allowances. The 2017 rates range from ₹5,000 a year for staff car drivers and multi-tasking staff to ₹27,800 for operational SPG personnel, and they went up by 25% when DA reached 50% on 1 January 2024.
Rates by category
| Category (examples) | 2017 rate | After the 25% rise |
|---|---|---|
| SPG, operational duties | ₹27,800 a year | ₹34,750 a year |
| SPG, non-operational | ₹21,225 a year | About ₹26,531 a year |
| Officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, CAPFs, IPS, RPF and Coast Guard | ₹20,000 a year | ₹25,000 a year |
| Military Nursing Service officers, DANIPS and similar UT police officers | ₹15,000 a year | ₹18,750 a year |
| Personnel below officer rank in the defence forces and CAPFs; executive staff of Customs, Central Excise and Narcotics; railway station masters | ₹10,000 a year | ₹12,500 a year |
| Other staff required to wear uniform: staff car drivers, MTS, railway trackmen and running staff, departmental canteen staff | ₹5,000 a year | ₹6,250 a year |
| Nursing staff | ₹1,800 a month | ₹2,250 a month |
The 2017 rates are from the Department of Expenditure OM of 2 August 2017 and the ministry orders that followed. The last column applies the order's own rule that rates rise by 25% each time DA rises by 50%; departments have issued their own orders for it, such as the Health Ministry's OM of 17 September 2024 for nursing staff. Your ministry's order gives the exact figure for your post.
What it replaced and what it covers
The dress allowance merged the clothing, initial equipment, kit maintenance, robe, robe maintenance, shoe, uniform and washing allowances, none of which is paid separately now. It is meant for the basic uniform only. Special clothing, such as gear for Siachen or submarines and fluorescent clothing for railway trackmen, is still supplied by the ministry. Staff who used to be given uniforms in kind get the allowance instead. Indian Foreign Service officers keep their separate outfit allowance, which was raised by 50%.
When it is paid
The allowance is credited with salary once a year in July, for the year ahead. Nursing staff's rate is stated per month but is also credited yearly, so ₹2,250 a month becomes ₹27,000 in July. For employees who join after the July payment, a Department of Expenditure OM of 24 March 2025 provides a proportionate amount: the annual rate ÷ 12 × the number of months from the month of joining to June of the following year. Some forces have their own joining rules; the Home Ministry, for example, pays CAPF and Assam Rifles recruits a one-time amount in the month of joining.
Practice for retirement in the middle of the year has varied, because the July payment covers the year ahead. The Ministry of Defence, for example, recovered part of it from civilian staff retiring between July and December under a 2021 order, and a Department of Posts order of 24 September 2025, citing Department of Expenditure advice, pays mid-year retirees a proportionate amount using the same months-based formula as for new joiners. Check your own ministry's order before you retire.
Months from October 2026 to June 2027: 9.
Proportionate allowance: ₹6,250 ÷ 12 × 9 = ₹4,687.50, paid after joining.
From July 2027 she gets the full ₹6,250 each July.
For comparison, an Army or CAPF officer gets ₹25,000 every July, and a staff nurse ₹2,250 × 12 = ₹27,000.
The 25% rule and what comes next
Like the Children Education Allowance (see CEA), dress allowance rises by 25% each time DA on the 7th CPC pay structure goes up by 50%. DA crossed 50% on 1 January 2024, giving the current rates. DA is 60% now and the July 2026 instalment has not been declared (63% is expected but not official), so no further rise is due. The next step would need DA at 100%, and the 8th Pay Commission is expected to review all allowances before that.
Tax and other treatment
Dress allowance is not part of pay, so it does not count for DA, pension, gratuity or leave encashment. For income tax, an allowance for buying and maintaining a uniform worn on duty has been exempt under the old regime to the extent actually spent on it; under the new regime it is taxed with salary. Ask your DDO how your office shows it in Form 16, and compare regimes with the income tax calculator. Orders are on the Department of Expenditure website.