Let me just confirm that, indeed, although Succes20 and I are in the same state things ARE much different in my county. Among other things, we were told that our work hours count towards our “job hunt” total, so if you are required to give IMPACT 30 hours then 20 hours working and 10 job searching are acceptable. We do have one-on-one meetings with our caseworkers, both at IMPACT and at FSSA (Family and Social Services Administration). They do accept part time and temp jobs. They even allowed my self-employment - granted, I was required to document it, but they did accept it once we agreed on required documentation and someone who had hired me was willing to confirm my work as actual work. In addition, we are allowed to turn in our hours on Friday afternoon if we can’t make the Monday morning “by noon” deadline due to employment requirements. They also allowed me to use my own phone and computer for job hunting (with documentation, of course, and they do follow up on these things). Then again, I live in one of Indiana’s largest cities, that fact alone increases the chances of getting SOME job - the small towns are MUCH worse off.
Still, it’s obvious that the requirements, even in my county, are quite strict. At least my local IMPACT office also conducts seminars in how to set up your own business and document it to their satisfaction. At least when you can’t find employment with someone else there is the chance of making your own job. Though that is also very difficult.