Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Document Type	dei_DocumentType	497
Document Period End Date	dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate	Nov. 30, 2016
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	GEORGE PUTNAM BALANCED FUND
Central Index Key	dei_EntityCentralIndexKey	0000081259
Amendment Flag	dei_AmendmentFlag	false
Trading Symbol	dei_TradingSymbol	PGEOX
Document Creation Date	dei_DocumentCreationDate	Aug. 01, 2016
Document Effective Date	dei_DocumentEffectiveDate	Sep. 01, 2016
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Nov. 30, 2015
George Putnam Balanced Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual fund operating expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
George Putnam Balanced Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.52%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.24%	[1]
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.01%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 672
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	878
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,101
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 1,740
George Putnam Balanced Fund | Class B
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.52%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.24%	[1]
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.76%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 679
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	854
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,154
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,875
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	179
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	554
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	954
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 1,875
George Putnam Balanced Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.52%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.24%	[1]
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.76%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 279
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	554
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	954
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	2,073
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	179
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	554
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	954
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 2,073
George Putnam Balanced Fund | Class M
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.52%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.75%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.24%	[1]
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.51%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 498
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	810
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,145
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 2,088
George Putnam Balanced Fund | Class R
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.52%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.50%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.24%	[1]
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.26%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 128
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	400
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	692
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 1,523
George Putnam Balanced Fund | Class R5
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.52%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.72%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 74
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	231
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	402
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 897
George Putnam Balanced Fund | Class R6
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.52%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.10%
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.62%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 63
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	199
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	346
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 774
George Putnam Balanced Fund | Class Y
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.52%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.24%	[1]
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.76%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 78
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	243
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	422
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 942

[1] Restated to reflect current fees resulting from a change to the fund's investor servicing arrangements effective September 1, 2016.