Anna Gelderd Raises Concerns Over Coastguard Pay Cut in Cornwall

The volunteers who go out in the worst conditions Cornwall’s coast can throw at them are about to start doing it for nothing.

South East Cornwall MP Anna Gelderd has written to the head of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency over a decision that will strip call-out payments from Coastguard Rescue Officers, warning it could damage morale and make an already stretched service harder to sustain.

What is changing

Coastguard Rescue Officers are classed as volunteers, but until now they have received around £11 an hour for attending incidents and training, with a minimum payment set at three hours even when a call-out is dealt with faster. The MCA has confirmed those payments are being removed as it moves to what it calls a revised volunteer model.

The change follows a long-running legal case brought by a former officer over the employment status of volunteers. A Court of Appeal ruling found that Coastguard Rescue Officers count as “workers” when carrying out duties they were paid for, and the agency says it now needs to change how the service operates. The removal of remuneration is due to take effect later this year.

There are around 350 volunteer officers across 16 Coastguard Rescue Teams in Cornwall, stationed from Bude to Land’s End and Penzance to Mevagissey, with regional coordination run from Falmouth.

What Anna Gelderd has said

Anna Gelderd said local officers had contacted her with serious concerns about both the new model and the loss of payments.

“In South East Cornwall, Coastguard Rescue Officers play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. They respond to incidents in all conditions, often dealing with traumatic and high-pressure situations to protect lives along our coast,” she said.

“Local officers have been in touch with serious concerns about the decision to move to a revised volunteer model and remove call-out payments. This has never been about the money, but those payments recognised the commitment and responsibility involved. I am concerned that this decision risks damaging morale, making recruitment and retention harder, and ultimately weakening the resilience of the service our coastal communities rely on.”

She said she had already written to the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to request a meeting and had raised the concerns with Ministers.

“CROs deserve to be valued, respected and properly supported for the vital work they do, and I want to place on record my sincere thanks for their service,” Anna said. “I look forward to meeting with local CROs at the earliest opportunity.”

She joins a growing list of Cornwall and Devon politicians pushing back on the change, with the leader of Cornwall Council and North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire among those who have already called on the agency to think again.