To add to Gonzo's comments, the £100 a week accomodation allowance is only paid for the weeks you actually are attending work, ie not on the 2 week breaks you get between courses.
I think the college courses now last either 9 or 12 months, depending on which dicipline you follow, and once you get to unit can take up to 2 years to validate, it depends on where you go and how lucky you get with courses.