AN AA5 PILOT EXPERIENCED AIRFRAME AND CARBURETOR ICING AND STATED ATC COULD HAVE BEEN OF MORE HELP.

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FILED IFR FROM XXX TO ZZZ1. CHARTED MEA FOR THIS RTE IS 5000 FT MSL. FILED ALT 5000 FT IN ORDER TO REMAIN CLEAR OF CLOUDS; AS TEMPS WERE FAVORABLE FOR ICING. AFTER TKOF AND HDOF TO DEP; THEY TOLD ME 'I NEED YOU TO BE AT 7000 FT -- YOU'RE FLYING OVER MOUNTAINS.' I WAS STILL CLBING FOR 5000 FT AT THE TIME. AT APPROX 6000 FT MSL; OBSERVED FROST ON THE WINDSCREEN AND SUBSEQUENTLY VERIFIED THAT ICE WAS ALSO NOW ON THE WING LEADING EDGES. AT THIS TIME; ANOTHER ACFT CALLED ATC TO RPT LIGHT RIME ICING AND REQUESTED A CLB TO ON-TOP. I CALLED ATC IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS AND ALSO RPTED ICING AND REQUESTED A CLB TO ON-TOP; AND WAS APPROVED FOR 9000 FT. RPM'S BEGAN DECREASING; AND I PULLED CARB HEAT TO COMPENSATE. CARB ICING REMAINED A PROB THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THIS EVENT; AND ULTIMATELY RATE OF CLB WAS REDUCED TO 200 FPM BEFORE I BROKE OUT ON TOP AT APPROX 8000 FT MSL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ATC PUT ME INTO THE CLOUDS IN THE FIRST PLACE; AS THE FILED ALT COMPLIED WITH THE CHARTED MEA. I FOUND NO NOTAMS TO CHANGE THE MEA. ARGUING ABOUT IT ON THE RADIO DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A DESIRABLE ACTION AT THE TIME; THOUGH IT SEEMED MORE DESIRABLE AFTER THE ICE STARTED ACCUMULATING! LESSONS LEARNED: I FAILED TO LEAN WITH CARB HEAT PULLED AT RELATIVELY HIGH ALT; WHICH LEFT ME WITH FEWER RPM'S THAN I MIGHT HAVE HAD; AND CONSEQUENTLY WITH A SLOWER RATE OF CLB; WHICH MADE THE PROB WORSE THAN IT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN. IF THE TOPS HAD BEEN A COUPLE THOUSAND FT HIGHER; IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I MIGHT HAVE RUN OUT OF CLB POWER BEFORE REACHING THE TOPS; WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A CRITICAL PROB. ADDITIONALLY; IN THE SAME SITUATION IN FUTURE; I MIGHT BE INCLINED TO REQUEST CLARIFICATION FROM ATC. I DON'T WANT TO ANTAGONIZE THE CTLRS; BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO BE PUT INTO AN EMER SITUATION NEEDLESSLY.