Debt - Additional Information (Detail) € in Millions		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 07, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017 EUR (€)	Jan. 13, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Feb. 27, 2015 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Document Period End Date				Mar. 31, 2017
Amortization of debt issuance costs				$ 8,200,000	$ 6,900,000
Interest Expense		$ 88,300,000	$ 94,400,000	180,000,000	189,600,000
Amortization of debt discount				900,000	$ 700,000
Long-term Debt		5,727,000,000		5,727,000,000					$ 5,540,700,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium), Net		21,900,000		21,900,000					22,800,000
Margin Loan, due July 13, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Security Owned and Pledged as Collateral, Fair Value								$ 583,800,000
Margin Loan, due July 13, 2018 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity								150,000,000
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount								0
Long-term Debt		$ 50,000,000		$ 50,000,000				50,000,000	$ 0
Debt Issuance Costs, Gross								$ 1,100,000
Margin Loan, due July 13, 2018 [Member] | Interest Rate Cap [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		3.50%		3.50%			3.50%	2.35%	0.00%
Euro Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Interest Rate Cap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate				2.75%
HGI [Member] | Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate									7.80%
Long-term Debt									$ 890,000,000
HGI [Member] | Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		7.80%		7.80%			7.80%
HGI [Member] | 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, due July 15, 2019 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		7.90%		7.90%			7.90%		7.90%
Long-term Debt									$ 864,400,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | 6.625% Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		6.625%		6.625%			6.625%		6.60%
Long-term Debt		$ 570,000,000		$ 570,000,000					$ 570,000,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Four Point Zero Percent Senior Notes [Member] | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		4.00%		4.00%			4.00%		4.00%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.75%		0.75%			0.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Interest Rate Cap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		2.50%		2.50%			2.50%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		1.75%		1.75%			1.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Interest Rate Cap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		2.00%		2.00%			2.00%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Interest [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		1.00%		1.00%			1.00%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		1.50%		1.50%			1.50%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | CAD Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.75%		0.75%			0.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | CAD Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Interest Rate Cap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		3.50%		3.50%			3.50%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | CAD Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		1.75%		1.75%			1.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | CAD Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		2.50%		2.50%			2.50%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Euro Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.75%		0.75%			0.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		$ 472,300,000		$ 472,300,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 700,000,000		$ 700,000,000
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		3.30%		3.30%			3.30%		0.00%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Six Point Three Seven Five Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Expense, Debt				$ 1,900,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Six Point Three Seven Five Senior Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		0.00%		0.00%			0.00%		6.375%
Interest Expense, Debt				$ 4,600,000
Long-term Debt		$ 0		0					$ 129,700,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit outstanding		$ 24,700,000		$ 24,700,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Six Point One Two Five Percentage Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		6.125%		6.125%			6.125%		6.10%
Long-term Debt		$ 247,900,000		$ 247,900,000					$ 250,000,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Five Point Seven Five Percent Senior Notes Due July 15 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		5.75%		5.75%			5.75%		5.80%
Long-term Debt		$ 1,000,000,000		$ 1,000,000,000					$ 1,000,000,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount		$ 0		0
Interest Expense, Debt				$ 2,600,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Interest [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		1.75%		1.75%			1.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.75%		0.75%			0.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Interest [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		2.25%		2.25%			2.25%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		1.25%		1.25%			1.25%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Expense, Debt				$ 1,000,000
Spectrum Brands Foreign Subsidiaries [Member] | ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		$ 1,500,000		$ 1,500,000
Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Secured Borrowings Related to non-qualifying participating loan interests [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		0.00%		0.00%			0.00%		0.00%
Long-term Debt		$ 800,000		$ 800,000					$ 2,000,000
Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 32,600,000		$ 32,600,000					$ 39,700,000	$ 578,500,000
Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Unaffiliated Long-Term Debt of Consolidated Variable-Interest-Entity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.00%		0.00%			0.00%		0.00%
Long-term Debt		$ 32,600,000		$ 32,600,000					$ 39,700,000
United States of America, Dollars | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.00%		0.00%			0.00%		3.60%
Long-term Debt		$ 1,000,400,000		$ 1,000,400,000					$ 1,005,500,000
United States of America, Dollars | Spectrum Brands [Member] | CAD Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 53,800,000		$ 53,800,000					$ 54,900,000
United States of America, Dollars | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Euro Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		3.50%		3.50%			3.50%		3.50%
Long-term Debt		$ 59,700,000		$ 59,700,000
Canada, Dollars | Spectrum Brands [Member] | CAD Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		4.50%		4.50%			4.50%		4.60%
Euro Member Countries, Euro | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Four Point Zero Percent Senior Notes [Member] | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 453,700,000		$ 453,700,000			€ 425.0		$ 477,000,000
Euro Member Countries, Euro | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Euro Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt									$ 63,000,000
FGL [Member] | Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Unaffiliated Long-Term Debt of Consolidated Variable-Interest-Entity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate	[1]	0.00%		0.00%			0.00%		0.00%
Long-term Debt	[1]	$ 51,800,000		$ 51,800,000					$ 63,000,000.000
Subsequent Event [Member] | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Interest Rate Cap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate						2.00%
Subsequent Event [Member] | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate						1.00%

[1] The debt balances included in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and in the table above reflect transactions between the businesses held for sale and businesses held for use that are expected to continue to exist after the completion of any disposition resulting from the FGL Strategic Evaluation Process. Such transactions are not eliminated in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in order to appropriately reflect the continuing operations and balances held for sale.