Yes, depending upon the kind of life insurance policy you invest in, you can claim some part of the payout before death. For instance, a life insurance plan, such as the unit-linked insurance plan, has a lock-in period of 5 years. Post the lock-in period, you can withdraw funds partially for short term needs. Endowment plans also offer a loan facility after your policy acquires a surrender value. A term insurance plan, on the other hand, may not offer such a facility.
Hence, claims before death would depend on the type of life insurance product you choose.