Yuma man takes DES dispute to appeals court over benefits rules

A Yuma man’s benefits fight has moved into the Arizona Court of Appeals, where Jason Lujan is challenging whether the Arizona Department of Economic Security went beyond its authority when it set rules that affected emergency rental aid.

The case, docketed in Division One as 1 CA-UB 25-0034 and titled LUJAN v. ADES/DES ERAP, now asks judges to decide whether DES created eligibility restrictions that conflict with federal law. Lujan is listed as representing himself, while DES is represented by Assistant Attorney General Jennifer R. Blum.

Court records show the record on appeal was filed Oct. 10, 2025, the application for appeal was granted Dec. 22, 2025, and the appeal was placed in the court’s pro bono program on Jan. 2, 2026. The Arizona Court of Appeals’ pro bono program, created under Administrative Order 2014-04, is used for selected appeals involving self-represented parties when additional briefing could help the court’s review.

Lujan’s dispute is about more than one application or one household. He has argued that DES’s handling of pandemic-era rental assistance and benefits caused real harm by leaving some residents without support when they were trying to avoid eviction and keep income coming in. The case turns on whether the agency had the power to impose the restrictions it used, or whether those rules crossed a line set by federal law.

That question carries immediate weight in Yuma County, where housing costs have made rental aid a critical safety net for many families. State housing officials say Yuma County received direct federal rental-assistance funding and launched its own local programs separate from DES. The City of Yuma also adopted an Affordable Housing Action Plan in September 2025 to preserve affordable homes and expand housing options.

DES says its Arizona Rental Assistance Program has ended and that it is no longer accepting applications, though submissions made on or before Aug. 31, 2024, continue to be processed. The agency also says LIHEAP households may receive up to $640 a year in standard benefits, plus a $500 crisis benefit when an energy emergency exists.

For Yuma residents who rely on state decisions for rent, utilities or other assistance, the appeal raises a practical question with broad stakes: if an agency can narrow access once, how secure are the programs meant to keep families housed and stable?