23It should be pointed out that ‘dependent child’ is defined in Article 2(2) of the Annex as meaning the legitimate, natural or adopted child of an official, or of his spouse. An allowance is payable in respect of such a child in so far as he is actually being maintained by the official and also satisfies one of the conditions listed in Article 2(3) and (5), which are the following: (a) under 18 years of age, (b) between 18 and 26 and receiving educational or vocational training, (c) prevented by serious illness or invalidity from earning a livelihood. In each of these three cases, the Staff Regulations confers on the appointing authority circumscribed powers, in so far as the appointing authority is bound to grant dependent child allowance if it finds that these conditions are satisfied. Dependent child allowance is granted automatically for children under 18 years of age and on application by the official in the other cases.