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Label Element Value
RiskReturn rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Document Type dei_DocumentType 497
Document Period End Date dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate Feb. 28, 2017
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 Feb. 28, 2017
Document Effective Date dei_DocumentEffectiveDate Apr. 01, 2017
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Nov. 30, 2016
George Putnam Balanced Fund  
RiskReturn rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 14 of the fund’s prospectus, in the Appendix to the fund’s prospectus, and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI)
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
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 Breakpoint Discounts [Text] rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 14 of the fund’s prospectus, in the Appendix to the fund’s prospectus, and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI)
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount $ 50,000
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 T  
RiskReturn rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 2.50%
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther none
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.52%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.25% [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.02%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 351
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 567
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 799
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,467
[1] Other expenses are based on expenses of class A shares for the fund's last fiscal year.