For those of you who might be wondering about the legality of paying too little, the law is on the government's side.

Welfare rates being too low was heard by the court in Ontario sometime in the 1990s. The court not only found that there was no right to specific rates, but that the government had no obligation to provide social assistance altogether. This is now legally binding.

There are no economic rights in Canada and it is not a breach of the Charter to refuse social assistance or pay inadequately because such a right doesn't exist in the first place.

Essentially, social assistance is completely discretionary and there is no incentive for the government to raise the rates--simply because they have no legal obligation to do so.