I would think because he is losing his job through no fault of his own and retired to protect his retiree benefits. I checked his states website which states
To qualify for UI benefits, you must be out of work through no fault of your own. Workers who are laid off for economic reasons due to a plant closing, a reduction-in-force, or because of lack of work, for example -- are considered to be unemployed through no fault of their own. If your reason for separation from your last job is due to some reason, a determination will be made about whether or not you are eligible for benefits. All determinations of whether or not a person is eligible for benefits are made by the appropriate Arizona Revised Statute, Administrative Code or applicable federal laws.
https://des.az.gov/services/employm...l/eligibility-unemployment-insurance-benefits
He should also qualify for assistance to find a new job and possible additional retraining due to his age which may even extend unemployment benefits.
It's certainly worth applying, they can only say no.
Also once he is unemployed, he might qualify for many assistance programs that might be available to him while he is unemployed. Most utility companies (gas/electric) offer discounted rates for low income individuals and when you're unemployed you're low/no income. The discount is usually around 20% that will last for a couple of years before needing to be recertified. They also offer FREE home weatherization programs and free appliance upgrades if qualified. I applied to the gas company and got a brand new water heater, and gas heating system installed for free. They also installed 9 10 year carbon monoxide/smoke detectors in every room in my house at no cost and weatherized my home to help save on energy costs. The electric company offered me a new a/c system and swamp cooler but I cancelled the installation at the time because of Covid. It's still pending and they bug me from time to time about it so I just need to contact them to schedule the install. I also get 20% discount on my gas and electric bills. I'm able to control my income for the ACA which also helped me qualify for these programs.