New Year, New Rules: Pay Hikes, LPG Prices & Credit Score Updates from Jan 1

One of the most significant changes is the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission from January 1, 2026.

The Union government had already approved the move earlier. The decision is expected to benefit around 50 lakh central government employees and nearly 69 lakh pensioners.

With the new pay commission, salaries of government employees may increase by 20 to 35 per cent.

At the same time, the government has increased the price of LPG cylinders by ₹111 from January 1, 2026.

However, the hike applies only to 19-kg commercial LPG cylinders. Domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking, which weigh 14.2 kg, have been kept unchanged, providing relief to families.

There has also been some relief on the fuel front. Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) has revised CNG and PNG prices from the new year.

CNG prices have been reduced by Rs 3, while PNG has become cheaper by Rs 0.70. However, the revised rates will vary from city to city.

Another major change from January 1 relates to credit scores. Until now, credit scores were updated once a month.

From 2026 onwards, credit scores will be updated every week, or every seven days. This means that people who pay their EMIs on time will see the benefits reflected more quickly in their credit profiles.

The deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar ended on December 31, 2025. If the PAN was not linked to Aadhaar by this date, the PAN card becomes inactive from January 1.

An inactive PAN can create problems in filing income tax returns and carrying out high-value banking transactions.

The central government has also introduced a new system for beneficiaries of the PM Kisan scheme in the form of a Farmer ID.

From January 1, 2026, this system is being implemented in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

- IANS