Derivatives - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	$ 35,131	$ 37,756
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	(325)	(438)
Cash collateral held	300	310
Pledged collateral, securities	7	6
Securities collateral held	3
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	33,528	36,088
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	(310)	(426)
Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	1,603	1,668
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	(15)	(12)
Swap [Member] \| GMWB Hedging Instruments [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	4,739	5,023
Swap [Member] \| Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	57	59
Equity Contract [Member] \| GMWB Hedging Instruments [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	761	1,407
Equity Contract [Member] \| Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	(20)	(31)
Interest rate swaps
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount		2,700
Interest rate swaps \| GMWB Hedging Instruments [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	3,076	3,022
Interest rate swaps \| Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	30	39
Interest rate swaps \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	2,700
Interest rate swaps \| Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	1,421	1,486
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	(3)	0
GMWB Hedging Instruments [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	8,576	9,452
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	67	67
GMWB Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	8,576	9,452
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	67	67
Collateral Pledged [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Pledged collateral, securities	$ 640	$ 729

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 13
-Sentence Column B

+ Details

Name:	invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of obligation to return cash collateral under master netting arrangements offset against derivative assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41228-113958

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAssetCollateralObligationToReturnCashOffset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of the assets less the liabilities of a derivative or group of derivatives.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41271-113958

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41228-113958

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77997519&loc=d3e13433-108611

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77997519&loc=d3e13495-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsAndHedgingActivitiesDisclosuresLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the assets received as collateral against securities loaned to other broker-dealers. Borrowers of securities generally are required to provide collateral to the lenders of securities, commonly cash but sometimes other securities or standby letters of credit, with a value slightly higher than that of the securities borrowed. In instances where the entity is permitted to sell or re-pledge these securities, the entity reports the fair value of the collateral received and the related obligation to return the collateral as a liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 10
-Section 05
-Paragraph 17
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64836671&loc=d3e93645-111703

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64858031&loc=SL6224234-111729

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesReceivedAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of financial instrument held by the entity for its own account (proprietary securities) for trading or investment purposes that are carried at fair value and pledged to counterparties as collateral for financing transactions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64858031&loc=SL6224234-111729

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66007379&loc=d3e113888-111728

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecurityOwnedAndPledgedAsCollateralFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_SwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=hig_GmwbHedgingInstrumentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_EquityContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=hig_GmwbHedgingInstrumentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CollateralAxis=us-gaap_CollateralPledgedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: