Ambarvale pensioner Carmen Razza said she was “mortified’’ when she received a letter from Centrelink advising that she owed them more than $3600.
Mrs Razza, 70, receives the aged pension and rental assistance and works at least 15 hours a week in customer service.
She said she was notified in November that the debt was due to a discrepancy in her 2010-12 statements and that she had under reported her income.
“They say I earned more than I reported but I have always reported honestly,’’ she said.
“They think that I mistakenly reported my net wage rather than my gross wage.’’
Mrs Razza said she was paid a different amount each fortnight depending on the number of hours she worked.
“Centrelink should have told me straight away because it’s six years ago and I can’t remember,’’ she said.
She said she was reluctant to approach her employer about the matter because the company had recently been sold and a new management was in place.