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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Change in Deferred Tax Assets Valuation Allowance, Amount	$ 328,600,000	$ (47,400,000)	$ 151,800,000
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2015
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	$ 1,019,900,000	778,500,000
Income tax expense	71,600,000	111,500,000	187,300,000
Deferred tax assets (Note 19)	1,054,000,000	935,400,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	$ (440,800,000)	$ 213,200,000	118,300,000
Statutory rate	35.00%	35.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Purchase Accounting Benefit, Amount	$ (22,800,000)	$ 0	0
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nondeductible Expense, Impairment Losses, Amount	9,900,000	0	$ 0
Operating Loss Carryforwards	17,100,000
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount	$ 314,600,000	$ 75,900,000
Effective income tax rate	(16.20%)	52.30%	158.30%
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	$ 2,073,900,000	$ 1,713,900,000
Income Tax Examination, Estimate of Possible Loss	2,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance, Domestic Income Taxes [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount	254,200,000	98,700,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance, US State and Local Income Taxes [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount	60,400,000	22,800,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance, Asset Impairments [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount	316,400,000
UNITED STATES
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	(630,800,000)	9,200,000	$ (78,900,000)
Outside of the United States [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	190,000,000	204,000,000	197,200,000
Spectrum Brands [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	305,400,000	333,100,000
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries		183,800,000
Cumulative Unremitted Earnings		3,100,000
Foreign Earnings Repatriated		190,500,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] \| U S Federal
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	268,700,000	299,100,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards	894,500,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Subject to Expiration	272,900,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] \| State and Local Jurisdiction
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	68,700,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Subject to Expiration	95,500,000	16,700,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] \| Foreign Tax Authority
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	36,700,000	34,000,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards	127,600,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Subject to Expiration		29,400,000
FGLH
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	120,200,000	118,800,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Loss Carryforwards	210,500,000
Deferred tax assets (Note 19)	228,500,000	137,400,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards	92,200,000	92,500,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	348,700,000	256,200,000
Capital Loss Carry Forward	216,900,000	259,100,000
Low Income Housing Tax Credit Carryforwards	54,300,000	54,300,000
Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Carry Forward	6,300,000	6,300,000
FGLH \| Life and Non Life Insurance Companies, net [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Net Increase (Release) In Valuation Allowance	(1,300,000)	(40,100,000)
FGLH \| Life Insurance Company
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Net Increase (Release) In Valuation Allowance	4,300,000	43,000,000
FGLH \| Non Life Insurance Companies
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	46,500,000
Net Increase (Release) In Valuation Allowance	5,600,000	2,900,000
FGLH \| Capital Loss Carryforward [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	73,700,000	78,000,000
FGLH \| Net Operating Loss [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance		40,800,000
FOH [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nondeductible Expense, Impairment Losses, Amount	11,700,000
FGL
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Change in Deferred Tax Assets Valuation Allowance, Amount		$ 40,100,000.0
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Date		Dec. 31, 2015
Income tax expense	35,000,000
Spectrum Brands [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount	27,700,000	$ 121,500,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Date		Jan. 01, 2035
Foreign Earnings Repatriated	37,500,000
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Repatriation of Foreign Earnings, Amount	300,000	$ 100,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] \| Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance, Restructuring Related Charges [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount		62,600,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] \| Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance, Foreign Income Taxes [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount	2,700,000	1,100,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] \| Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance, Business Combinations [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount	22,800,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] \| Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance, Domestic Income Taxes [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount	$ 30,400,000	122,600,000
HGI
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2015
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	$ 594,500,000	279,900,000
Income tax expense	(1,500,000)	900,000	(1,200,000)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	(558,300,000)	(9,400,000)	$ (47,000,000)
HGI \| U S Federal
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	815,300,000	497,300,000
Capital Loss Carryforwards	77,800,000	35,500,000
HGI \| State and Local Jurisdiction
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	109,800,000	$ 16,300,000
Additional Paid-in Capital \| Spectrum Brands [Member] \| U S Federal
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	$ 59,600,000
Maximum \| FGL
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Date	Dec. 31, 2020
Unrealized Built-in Gain on Securities Available for Sale	$ 100,000,000
Minimum [Member] \| FGL
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Date	Dec. 31, 2016