@John Newton
John, I think ultimately it is down to the assessor. Although the new system of points aims to make it more objective rather than subjective, it still relies on the opinion of the assessor.
My assessor was very friendly from the start, had thoroughly researched my disability as it is caused by an illness suffered by only a couple of others in the U.K. and still being researched. A lot of it is hidden but her research helped her understand that. A less diligent or sympathetic assessor may have caused more problems.