Government employees who have left the service may request to claim their terminal leave benefit any time, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced.

In CSC Resolution No. 1901392, the Commission amended Section 38 of the Omnibus Rules on Leave providing a prescriptive period of 10 years within which to file a request or claim for payment of terminal leave benefit.

Section 38 now reads: “Request for payment of terminal leave benefits may be brought any time after the official/employee severed his/her connection with his/her employer.”

In the said resolution, the Commission said it has ruled on a number of administrative cases brought before it, wherein the payment of terminal leave benefits despite the lapse of the 10-year prescriptive period was allowed.

“The Commission based its decision on the Supreme Court’s ruling stating that government employee’s terminal leave benefit is actually the money value of the employees accumulated leave credits; an accumulation of which is intended for old age or separation from service; and that it is a mere bounty given by the government in consideration or in recognition of meritorious services and springs from the appreciation and graciousness of the government,” the CSC said.