As the royal commission into the controversial robodebt begins, a Centrelink whistleblower has lifted the lid on the scheme, revealing what it was like from inside the department.

The former Centrelink staffer who was taking calls from vulnerable Australians has spoken to A Current Affair about how badly they believe the scheme was implemented.

"I would cry maybe two or three times a week because I just felt like I was a monster," the anonymous whistleblower told A Current Affair.

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"There was no way we were equipped for answering calls and stuff like that, especially when people had mental health issues."

The previous government had talked tough about its robodebt scheme.

"We will find you, we will track you down, you will have to repay those debts and you may end up in prison," former social services minister Alan Tudge said in 2020.

The department used computer algorithms to match welfare payments with income data from the Australian Taxation Office.

But the automated system resulted in thousands of Australians being chased for debts they didn't owe.

"It was just, 'calculate these debts as quickly as possible, with the least amount of information that you need'," the whistleblower claimed.

The former staffer claimed she was given no training to deal with people suffering mental health issues, which became a daily occurrence as the robodebt letters sparked a wave of fear and panic.

The worst incident she recalled involved the reaction of a woman being...

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