Business and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Business and Basis of Presentation	Dec. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business and Basis of Presentation	BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (the “Company” or “PALAC”), with its principal offices in Shelton, Connecticut, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Annuities, Inc. (“PAI”), which in turn is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. ("Prudential Financial"), a New Jersey corporation. The Company has developed long-term savings and retirement products, which are distributed through its affiliated broker dealer company, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), and third-party distribution networks. The Company issued variable and fixed deferred and immediate annuities for individuals and groups in the United States of America and Puerto Rico. In addition, the Company has a relatively small in-force block of variable life insurance policies. The Company ceased offering these products in March 2010. However, the Company continues to accept additional customer deposits on certain in-force contracts, subject to applicable contract provisions and administrative rules. In 2018, the Company resumed offering annuity products to new investors (except in New York). The Company surrendered its New York license effective December 31, 2015, and reinsured the majority of its New York business to an affiliate, The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“Prudential Insurance”). The license surrender relieves the Company of the requirement to hold New York statutory reserves on its business in excess of the statutory reserves required by its domiciliary regulator, the Arizona Department of Insurance ("AZDOI"). For the small portion of New York business retained by the Company, a custodial account has been established to hold collateral assets in an amount equal to a percentage of the reserves associated with such business, as calculated in accordance with PALAC's New York Regulation 109 Plan approved by the New York Department of Financial Services. Effective April 1, 2016, the Company reinsured the variable annuity base contracts, along with the living benefit guarantees, from Pruco Life Insurance Company ("Pruco Life"), excluding the Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey ("PLNJ") business which was reinsured to Prudential Insurance, in each case under a coinsurance and modified coinsurance agreement. This reinsurance agreement covers new and in-force business and excludes business reinsured externally. As of December 31, 2020, Pruco Life discontinued the sales of traditional variable annuities with guaranteed living benefit riders. The discontinuation has no impact on the reinsurance agreement between Pruco Life and the Company. In addition, the living benefit hedging program related to the living benefit guarantees as well as the product risks for retained and reinsured businesses are being managed within the Company and Prudential Insurance, as applicable. The Company is engaged in a business that is highly competitive because of the large number of stock and mutual life insurance companies and other entities engaged in marketing long-term savings and retirement products, including insurance products, and individual and group annuities. Basis of Presentation The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The most significant estimates include those used in determining deferred policy acquisition cost ("DAC") and related amortization; policyholders' account balances related to the fair value of embedded derivative instruments associated with the index-linked features of certain annuity products; value of business acquired ("VOBA") and its amortization; amortization of deferred sales inducements ("DSI"); valuation of investments including derivatives, measurement of allowance for credit losses, and recognition of other-than-temporary impairments ("OTTI"); future policy benefits including guarantees; provision for income taxes and valuation of deferred tax assets; and accruals for contingent liabilities, including estimates for losses in connection with unresolved legal and regulatory matters. COVID-19 Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) has resulted in extreme stress and disruption in the global economy and financial markets, and has adversely impacted, and may continue to adversely impact, the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Due to the highly uncertain nature of these conditions, it is not possible to estimate the ultimate impacts at this time. The risks may have manifested, and may continue to manifest, in the Company’s financial statements in the areas of, among others, i) investments: increased risk of loss on the Company's investments due to default or deterioration in credit quality or value; ii) insurance liabilities and related balances: potential changes to assumptions regarding investment returns, mortality and policyholder behavior which are reflected in the Company's insurance liabilities and certain related balances (e.g., DAC, VOBA, etc.). The Company cannot predict what impact the COVID-19 pandemic will ultimately have on the global economy, markets or its businesses. Reclassifications Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.