STATUTORY REPORTING, CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS AND DIVIDENDS AND RETAINED EARNINGS RESTRICTIONS (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Long term debt	$ 50,000	$ 0
Payment of cash dividends	28,526	32,662	$ 105,408
United Fire & Casualty Company
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Intercompany dividend payments that are eliminated in Consolidated Financial Statements	4,000	57,000	105,000
Subsidiaries
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Intercompany dividend payments that are eliminated in Consolidated Financial Statements	62,400	$ 6,300	$ 8,500
State of Iowa Insurance Department
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory amount available for dividend payments	$ 66,800

This element represents disclosure of the total aggregate cash dividends paid to the entity by consolidated subsidiaries, by unconsolidated subsidiaries, and by 50% or less owned persons accounted for using the equity method.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-04(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e24072-122690

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- Definition

Cash outflow in the form of capital distributions and dividends to common shareholders, preferred shareholders and noncontrolling interests.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121586364&loc=d3e3291-108585

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- 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.

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- Definition

Amount of dividends available for payment after computation of statutory restrictions on capital surplus.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e23780-122690

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- Definition

Financial instruments issued by insurance entities (surplus notes) that are includable in surplus for statutory accounting purposes as prescribed or permitted by state laws and regulations that are liabilities of the issuer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 470
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486086&loc=d3e24387-158525

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