Change of Beneficiary Letter (Insurance Policy)

No, they cannot. You can't pay them directly, at least. Instead, you can make other arrangements. For example, creating a trust fund is an option.
You can assign a trustee and name your child as a beneficiary. Another option is to name the person who would be the guardian of your minor children as the beneficiary of the policy.

If the current beneficiary of your policy is a recipient of Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid, they may lose these benefits should they claim the insurance payout. The same applies if they seek these programs in the future.

The answer is no. Insurance companies take precautions to protect their clients. Your current or ex-spouse cannot change the beneficiary of the policy you pay for.
However, if you have given a power of attorney to another person, including a spouse, they may be able to change the beneficiary on your behalf.

The two types of insurance beneficiaries are revocable and irrevocable. The revocable beneficiary means that the policyholder has the right to change the beneficiary at any time without informing the current beneficiary.
The irrevocable beneficiary means that the policyholder can't change the beneficiary without their consent.

There are many reasons why insurance policies remain unclaimed after the policyholder's death. Some beneficiaries might not know how to make a claim, and others might not need to do so immediately.
The good news is that there isn't any time limit for requesting a policy payout from the insurance company. As long as the policy was active and paid for during the policyholder's life, it remains valid indefinitely.