September shift to expenses-only Coastguard volunteers is dropped

Plans to move the Coastguard Rescue Service to an expenses-only volunteer model from September 2026 will not go ahead, the Department for Transport has said.

The department said current arrangements would remain in place after it reconsidered information used for the earlier decision. It said two surveys used to inform Maritime and Coastguard Agency operational decisions had not been detailed enough to reflect the potential effects of the proposed change.

The move to an expenses-only model had been announced on 1 June after a Court of Appeal judgment on 14 January. The department said the judgment clarified that modest remuneration had inadvertently created a worker relationship with coastguard rescue officers, meaning a change was needed either to restore a volunteer model or to adopt a worker model.

Instead of proceeding in September, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will engage with trade unions, coastguard rescue officers and MPs over the coming months. The department said that work would inform future decisions about the service and that it would also explore longer-term options for recognising and rewarding officers.

The announcement applies to the Coastguard Rescue Service across the United Kingdom. It does not set out a Wales-specific change or a replacement timetable.

What this means for Wales

For coastal communities in Wales, the immediate practical position is that the existing Coastguard Rescue Service arrangements remain in place while the agency gathers more evidence. The statement leaves open what longer-term model may follow, so there is no confirmed change for Welsh teams to plan for beyond September.