Remember kids: "Passive income" is a term used to describe wealth handed out to people by society, through our economic system, without doing any work.
Many people receiving a "passive income" are intergenerationally wealthy, as opposed to the working class and long-term unemployed people who receive social welfare payments.
Because of this, they're referred to as passive income /earners/ not passive income /recipients/. Conversely, we have social welfare /recipients/ not social welfare /earners/.
As a society, we've decided that Joe Heir and Jane Heiress deserve their wealth, even if they've never done a full day's work in their lives. And there are no income tests for this wealth, so they get these handouts even if they don't need them.
Conversely, we've collectively decided that welfare recipients are bludgers. Welfare payments are also vigorously means tested. The burden of proof is entirely on you to claim and prove you deserve these payments.
The one exception to this social welfare rule is when handouts go to the rich, whether that's in the form of subsidies or tax breaks.
Because there's one law for the rich, and another for the poor.
