Derivative Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	$ 294,500,000		$ 221,800,000
Estimated amount of derivative net losses/gains to be reclassified from AOCI into earnings over the next twelve months	(900,000)	(500,000)
Derivative, Notional Amount	6,606,800,000		6,407,400,000
Call options purchased to match the funding requirements	Call options are one, two and three year options
FGL purchases call options to fund the next index credit	One, two or three year call options to fund the next index credit
Derivative, Percentage of Production Volume Covered by Derivative Financial Instruments	83.60%
Futures contracts [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Cash collateral	4,800,000		5,900,000
Futures contracts	1,190		1,693
Call options [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Collateral, Obligation to Return Cash, Offset	119,800,000		72,000,000
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	294,100,000		221,800,000
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Amount Offset Against Collateral	174,300,000		149,800,000
Swap [Member] | Natural Gas Commodity Contract [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Natural Gas, Volume	16,316,000.0		16,018,000.0
Swap [Member] | Oil Commodity Contract [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative, Commodity Contract, Oil Volume	272,000.0		375.0
Spectrum Brands [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	106,700,000		108,500,000
Cash collateral	500,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Standby Letters of Credit [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Standby letters of credit	0		0
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Zinc Commodity Swap Contract [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Contract value	17,300,000
Weight of raw materials under derivative contract	9
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Interest rate swap agreements [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative net loss/gain	700,000
Derivative net loss/gain, net of tax benefit/expense	100,000
Derivative net loss/gain, non-controlling interest	500,000
Estimated amount of derivative net losses/gains to be reclassified from AOCI into earnings over the next twelve months	600,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Silver Commodity Swap Contract [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Contract value	600,000		1,000,000
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount	30		45
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Bronze Commodity Contract [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Contract value	6,100,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Contract value	237,600,000
Derivative net loss/gain	1,200,000
Derivative net loss/gain, net of tax benefit/expense	500,000
Derivative net loss/gain, non-controlling interest	800,000
Estimated amount of derivative net losses/gains to be reclassified from AOCI into earnings over the next twelve months	1,000,000
Remainder of 2013 [Member] | Swap [Member] | Natural Gas Commodity Contract [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative, Average Forward Price	96.14
Natural Gas, Volume	16,316,000.0
Remainder of 2013 [Member] | Swap [Member] | Oil Commodity Contract [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative, Average Forward Price	4.17
Derivative, Commodity Contract, Oil Volume	272,000.0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	299,700,000		227,700,000
Derivatives For Trading And Investment [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Futures contracts [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	400,000		0
Derivatives For Trading And Investment [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Commodity contracts [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	400,000
Derivatives For Trading And Investment [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Call options [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	$ 294,100,000		$ 221,800,000