Government Rules Out Review of HRA Policy for Married Central Government Employees Living in Government Accommodation

The Government has clarified that it has no proposal to review the existing House Rent Allowance (HRA) policy applicable to married Central Government employees when one spouse has been allotted Government accommodation.

The clarification was provided by the Ministry of Finance in a written reply to an Unstarred Question in the Rajya Sabha on August 4, 2026.

Why HRA Is Not Admissible in Such Cases

Explaining the rationale behind the policy, the Government stated that HRA is granted to Central Government employees who are not provided with Government accommodation, as compensation for expenditure incurred on hiring residential accommodation.

According to the existing rules, when both spouses are Central Government employees posted at the same station and Government accommodation has been allotted to either one of them, the family is considered to have been provided with Government accommodation.

Since the other spouse does not incur any expenditure on hiring residential accommodation in such circumstances, House Rent Allowance is not admissible.

No Representations Received

The Government also informed the Rajya Sabha that it has not received any representations from Government employees or their service associations seeking reconsideration of the existing HRA policy.

No Proposal to Review Policy

Responding to whether the Government intends to review the policy to make it more equitable for couples where both spouses are in Government service, the Ministry categorically stated that no such proposal is under consideration.

As a result, there is no change in the existing provisions governing HRA eligibility for married Central Government employees residing in Government accommodation allotted to either spouse.

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