Nature of Operations, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Product Information [Line Items]
Number of wholly owned subsidiaries	2
Period In Which Loans No Longer Accrue Interest In Days	90 days
Estimated Contract Life UL Policies (In Years)	40 years
Estimated Contract Life VUL Policies (In Years)	40 years
Front End Load Annuity Products Assumed Life (In Years)	25 years
Number Of Scenarios Used Per Policy To Value A Block Of Guarantees	100
Total Scenarios To Value GLB liability	49,000,000
Participating Policies as a Percentage of the Face Amount of the Insurance In Force	1.00%	1.00%
Dividend Expenses | $	$ 51	$ 56	$ 57
Sales Force [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Useful life	25 years
VOCRA [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Usefule life of acquired intangibles	20 years
VODA [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Usefule life of acquired intangibles	13 years
Commercial [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Loans Reported As Delinquent In Days	60 days
Number of missed payments to qualify as delinqent	2
Loan-to-value ratio indicating principal is greater than collateral	100.00%
Debt-service coverage ratio indicating property income not covering debt payments	1.0
Residential [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Loans Reported As Delinquent In Days	90 days
Number of missed payments to qualify as delinqent	3
Period In Which Loans No Longer Accrue Interest In Days	90 days
Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	100.00%
Lincoln Life Assurance Company of Boston ("LLACB") [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	100.00%
Maximum [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Estimated Contract Life Fixed and Variable Deferred Annuities (In Years)	30 years
Traditional Contract Acquisition Cost Amortization Period (In Years)	30
Minimum [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Estimated Contract Life Fixed and Variable Deferred Annuities (In Years)	15 years
Life Insurance Segment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Investment Yield Assumptions for Traditional Direct Individual Life Reserves	7.75%
Life Insurance Segment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Investment Yield Assumptions for Traditional Direct Individual Life Reserves	2.25%
Annuities Segment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Investment Yield Assumptions for Immediate and Deferred Paid-Up Annuities	12.75%
Annuities Segment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Investment Yield Assumptions for Immediate and Deferred Paid-Up Annuities	1.25%
Reinsurance Transactions, 2012 to 2014 [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
No. of Years in Which Deferred Gain From Reinsurance Transaction is Recognized as Income	30 years
Reinsurance Transactions, Athene [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
No. of Years in Which Deferred Gain From Reinsurance Transaction is Recognized as Income	20 years
Reinsurance Transactions, 2012 to 2013 [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
No. of Years in Which Deferred Gain From Reinsurance Transaction is Recognized as Income	30 years
Reinsurance Transactions, First Penn-Pacific Life Insurance [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
No. of Years in Which Deferred Gain From Reinsurance Transaction is Recognized as Income	15 years