8th Pay Commission: Old Pension Scheme, higher pension and more; what pensioners want

The 8th Pay Commission has received a fresh set of demands from pensioners in Chennai, with the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), higher pension and family pension, and changes to pension commutation rules among the key requests.

The demands were raised by the Chennai GPO Pensioners' Forum during the Commission's meetings in the city. The forum also sought changes to the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme, better allowances and leave provisions, and stronger social security for pensioners and serving employees.

For pensioners, the demands could directly affect their long-term financial security if they are considered in the Commission's recommendations. However, these are demands submitted to the Commission and not decisions or approved changes.

Old Pension Scheme remains a key demand

The return of the Old Pension Scheme was placed among the forum's main priorities. The demand reflects the long-running push from pensioners for the restoration of the earlier pension arrangement.

The forum also called for an increase in both pension and family pension, seeking greater financial support for retired employees and their families.

Another issue raised was pension commutation recovery. Employees who commute part of their pension receive a lump-sum amount, and the forum sought clearer rules and relief concerning the recovery of the commuted amount.

MACP revision and better benefits sought

The pensioners' forum also called for a revision of the Modified Assured Career Progression scheme, particularly seeking better career progression and improved pay scales for postal employees.

Its wider demands included improvements to allowances and leave rules, along with stronger social security provisions covering both serving employees and pensioners.

The representations in Chennai also included a demand for a permanent wage-revision mechanism, rather than waiting for a new Pay Commission after a long gap. Another proposal was a minimum wage of Rs 68,000, along with "running scales" alongside the existing pay matrix.

When will the 8th Pay Commission report come?

The 8th Pay Commission, headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, was set up on November 3, 2025 and has been given 18 months to submit its report.

The Commission is expected to submit its findings to the government around May-June 2027, according to the information provided.

Its next scheduled stop is Chandigarh, where meetings are set for September 16, 17 and 18.

For now, government employees and pensioners will have to wait for the Commission's recommendations. The final impact on pension, family pension, pay, allowances and career progression will depend on what the Commission recommends and what the government ultimately accepts.