Debt - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended											3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended							12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended														3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Minimum	Sep. 30, 2014 Minimum LIBOR Compass Credit Agreement	Sep. 30, 2014 Minimum ABR Compass Credit Agreement	Sep. 30, 2014 Maximum	Sep. 30, 2014 Maximum LIBOR Compass Credit Agreement	Sep. 30, 2014 Maximum ABR Compass Credit Agreement	Sep. 30, 2014 6.625% Notes	Sep. 30, 2014 Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 21, 2014 Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 HGI USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 HGI USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 HGI USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 HGI 10.625% Senior Secured Notes, due November 15, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 HGI 10.625% Senior Secured Notes, due November 15, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 HGI 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, due July 15, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 HGI 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, due July 15, 2019	Sep. 30, 2013 HGI 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, due July 15, 2019 USD ($)	Jul. 23, 2013 HGI 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, due July 15, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 HGI Seven Point Eight Seven Five Percent Senior Notes New Notes [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 HGI Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 11, 2014 HGI Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	May 30, 2014 HGI Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	May 14, 2014 HGI Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 21, 2014 HGI Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 HGI Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 Other assets USD ($)	Oct. 06, 2013 Spectrum Brands 9.5% Senior Secured Notes, due June 15, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands 6.375% Senior Notes due 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands 6.375% Senior Notes due 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands 6.375% Senior Notes due 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands 6.625% Notes USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands 6.625% Notes USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands 6.625% Notes USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands 6.625% Notes Other assets USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands Term Loan, due December 17, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands Term Loan, due December 17, 2019 CAD	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands Term Loan, due December 17, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands Term Loan, due December 17, 2019 Other assets USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands Term Loan, due December 17, 2019 Other assets USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due September 4, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due September 4, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due September 4, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due September 4, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands Previous Term Loan Facility USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands 6.375% Notes and 6.625% Notes	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands 6.375% Senior Notes, Due April 1, 2021 Other assets USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands 6.75% Senior Notes, due March 15, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands 6.75% Senior Notes, due March 15, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Spectrum Brands 6.75% Senior Notes, due March 15, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 18, 2013 Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 FGLH USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 FGLH 6.375% Senior Notes, Due April 1, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 FGLH 6.375% Senior Notes, Due April 1, 2021 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 FGLH 6.375% Senior Notes, Due April 1, 2021 USD ($)	Aug. 29, 2014 FGLH [Member] FGL Revolving Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 FGLH [Member] FGL Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Minimum USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Compass Compass Credit Agreement USD ($)	Feb. 14, 2013 Compass Compass Credit Agreement USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Compass EXCO/HGI JV Credit Agreement, due February 14, 2018	Sep. 30, 2013 Compass EXCO/HGI JV Credit Agreement, due February 14, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Compass EXCO/HGI JV Credit Agreement, due February 14, 2018 Compass Credit Agreement USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC USD ($)	Feb. 14, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Salus Capital Partners LLC Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary USD ($)	Sep. 23, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary USD ($)	Sep. 23, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC Maximum Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC Maximum Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Salus Capital Partners LLC Unaffiliated long-term debt of consolidated variable-interest entity USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC Unaffiliated long-term debt of consolidated variable-interest entity USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Salus Capital Partners LLC Unaffiliated long-term debt of consolidated variable-interest entity Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC Unaffiliated long-term debt of consolidated variable-interest entity Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Salus Capital Partners LLC Unaffiliated long-term debt of consolidated variable-interest entity Minimum LIBOR	Sep. 30, 2014 Salus Capital Partners LLC Unaffiliated long-term debt of consolidated variable-interest entity Maximum LIBOR	Sep. 30, 2014 Salus Capital Partners LLC Secured Borrowings Related to non-qualifying participating loan interests [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Salus Capital Partners LLC Secured Borrowings Related to non-qualifying participating loan interests [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Exchange of Senior Secured Notes for Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] HGI 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, due July 15, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Exchange of Senior Secured Notes for Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] HGI Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	May 30, 2014 Exchange of Senior Secured Notes for Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] HGI Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Euro Member Countries, Euro Spectrum Brands Euro Term Loan, Due September 4, 2019 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 18, 2013 Euro Member Countries, Euro Spectrum Brands Euro Term Loan, Due September 4, 2019 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Euro Member Countries, Euro Spectrum Brands Euro Term Loan, Due September 4, 2019 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 United States of America, Dollars Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 18, 2013 United States of America, Dollars Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 United States of America, Dollars Spectrum Brands Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Cash Received from Exercise of Stock Options	$ 2,800,000	$ 0
Accretion Rate, VOBA				4.00%			5.00%
Long-term debt	5,194,500,000	4,909,700,000											1,354,400,000	924,200,000		498,000,000				925,000,000			750,000,000	200,000,000	550,000,000	0	200,000,000						520,000,000	520,000,000		570,000,000	570,000,000								648,400,000		850,000,000		370,200,000			300,000,000	300,000,000		509,900,000	215,000,000	300,000,000		300,000,000	300,000,000																		193,000,000	182,900,000					106,800,000		320,600,000	350,000,000		283,300,000	225,000,000	0	0	513,300,000	513,300,000
Debt Principal Redeemable at Future Date, Percent																							35.00%
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost																																																																																												9.2
Principal Amount of Debt Received in Exchange																																																																																								1,091.71
Long-term debt, interest rate										6.625%						10.625%		7.875%	7.90%	0.00%			7.75%										6.375%	6.40%	6.375%	6.625%	6.60%	6.625%							3.00%		3.00%					6.80%	6.80%	6.75%	3.60%		3.60%		6.375%	0.00%						2.70%	0.00%											6.70%	0.00%					10.80%					3.80%		0.00%	0.00%		4.60%
Discharge of remaining outstanding																2,000,000																																																								25,000,000
Cash charges on Interest Expense																	58,900,000
Cash charges for fees and expenses																	45,700,000
Cash charges related to the Satisfaction and Discharge																	200,000
Non-cash charges for the write down/write-off of debt issuance costs and discount/premium																	13,000,000
Debt Instrument Issue Price As Percentage Of Principle Amount																		99.36%			101.50%		100.00%
Original issuance discounts on debt, net																		4,500,000																										8,000,000				5,800,000
Other assets	421,900,000	281,600,000									3,700,000	5,600,000								20,000,000		5,100,000																																	5.2					10,200,000
Interest Expense	321,900,000	511,900,000	251,000,000										89,700,000	120,100,000	56,600,000																																								2.1
Redemption price of debt instrument to percentage of principal amount																		100.00%
Debt instrument principal amount redemption percentage																		35.00%
Proceeds from repurchase of equity, percentage																		107.875%
Original maturity date																		90 days
Redemption percentage of aggregate debt outstanding																		65.00%
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2014
Excess Statutory Capital over Requirement																																																															910,000,000
Debt, face amount																		700,000,000.0			225,000,000														520,000,000.0			570,000,000.0		800,000,000.0	100,000,000.0	1,150,000,000.00												300,000,000							300,000,000.0																											1,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	1,470,900,000												604,400,000
Debt maturity date																																								Dec. 17, 2019	Dec. 17, 2019								Jun. 17, 2016
Adjustment to increase interest expense																																										5,500,000
Extinguishment of debt, amount																																950,000,000
Discount rate																																												1.00%				0.50%								0.125%
Debt issuance costs													(10,400,000)	(25,100,000)	0																											19,300,000													7.2
Unamortized debt issuance costs																														200,000	300,000								14,100,000				16,900,000		16,400,000	0					12,900,000
Interest expense, debt																																										2,400,000
Minimum percentage of aggregate outstanding principal held by registered holders																																																		25.00%
Asset based lending revolving credit facility, before increase																													300,000,000.0
Asset based lending revolving credit facility																													400,000,000.0											800,000,000	100,000,000.0																								400,000,000.0
Extended maturity date																													May 24, 2017
Aggregate borrowing availability																													266,900,000
Net of lender reserves																													6,400,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount																													51,000,000																																	150,000,000
Cash Dividends Paid to Parent Company from Debt Issuance Proceeds																																																										73,000,000
Line of credit agreement, minimum percentage of secuity interest in oil and gas properties collateralizing borrowings																																																																	80.00%
Line of credit, amount outstanding to partnership																																																																327,000,000
Line of cedit, amount outstanding																																																																			271,200,000	243,200,000
Basis spread on variable rate					1.75%	0.75%		2.75%	1.75%																																																																									2.25%	11.50%
Line of credit agreement, partnership required to enter into derivative financial instruments, minimum percentage covering forecasted proved natural gas production, year one																																																																	75.00%
Line of credit agreement, partnership required to enter into derivative financial instruments, minimum percentage covering forecasted proved natural gas production, year two																																																																	50.00%
Line of credit agreement, partnership required to enter into derivative financial instruments, maximum percentage covering forecasted proved natural gas production, year one and two																																																																	100.00%
Line of credit agreement, partnership required to enter into derivative financial instruments, maximum percentage covering forecasted proved natural gas production, year three																																																																	90.00%
Line of credit agreement, partnership required to enter into derivative financial instruments, maximum percentage covering forecasted proved natural gas production, year four and five																																																																	85.00%
Line of credit facility, convenant terms, current ratio																																																																	1.0
Line of cedit facility, covenant terms, ratio of indebtedness to EBITDAX																																																																	4.5
Collateralized loan obligation of consolidated VIE																																																																							182,900,000	181,800,000	192,000,000
VIE, consolidated carrying amount obligations																																																																								485,000,000	484,000,000
Asset-based loans	811,600,000	560,400,000																																																																			136,500,000	166,900,000	331,100,000		331,100,000	325,000,000	175,500,000	550,000,000	250,000,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount																																																								0.5																								1,000,000	1,100,000
Amortization of debt discount	$ 4,600,000	$ 3,000,000	$ 1,300,000										$ 1,500,000	$ 500,000	$ 600,000																																								$ 0.1