One document, purported to be from Dr A K M Aminul Hoque, an associate professor of Medicine at Dhaka National Medical College and Hospital, Bangladesh, "lists symptoms including 'consume no food, loss weight, face colour blue or faint, problem breathing, and X-ray report we found respiratory displace (sic),' Tribunal senior member Jill Toohey found. "The text of the report appears to have been cut and pasted on to what may or may not be genuine letterhead, and Dr Hoque's name is spelled differently on the letterhead (where it is spelled Haque) from in the body of the report."

Congenital heart disease is a broad group of heart diseases, including problems such as heart valve defects and muscle abnormalities, which can have varying prognosis depending on the type of condition.

However, three doctors who gave evidence to the tribunal, all of whom Ms Akter claimed had diagnosed her son with the condition, said they had seen no symptoms indicating the problem.

When Ms Akter filled in three "care needs assessment" questionnaires for her son, she also gave inconsistent accounts of his needs, saying he suffered from symptoms including requiring assistance with chewing and swallowing, being unable to move unassisted, and suffering from an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.

"There is no credible information before me to support a finding that anything about the child's disability or the care provided by Ms Akter would have qualified her for carer payment or carer allowance," Ms Toohey found.