v2.4.0.6
Document And Entity Information
0 Months Ended
May 16, 2013
Document And Entity Information Element  
Document Type 497
Document Period End Date Dec. 31, 2012
Registrant Name DELAWARE GROUP LIMITED-TERM GOVERNMENT FUNDS
Central Index Key 0000357059
Amendment Flag false
Document Creation Date Oct. 28, 2013
Document Effective Date Oct. 28, 2013
Prospectus Date Apr. 30, 2013
v2.4.0.6
Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd

Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fund (the "Fund")

DELAWARE GROUP® LIMITED-TERM GOVERNMENT FUNDS

Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fund (the "Fund")

Supplement to the Fund's Class A, Class B, Class C, Class R, and Institutional Class
Statutory Prospectus dated April 30, 2013

The following replaces the information in the section entitled, "What are the Fund's fees and expenses?".

What are the Fund's fees and expenses?

The following table describes the fees and expenses that 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 $100,000 in Delaware Investments® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd
Class A
Class B
Class C
Class R
Institutional Class
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price 2.75% none none none none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower none 2.00% [1] 1.00% [1] none none
[1] If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you buy them, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 2.00%, which declines to 1.00% during the second and third years, and 0% thereafter. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% CDSC.

Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd
Class A
Class B
Class C
Class R
Institutional Class
Management Fees 0.46% 0.46% 0.46% 0.46% 0.46%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.25% 1.00% 1.00% 0.50% none
Other Expenses 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses 0.91% 1.66% 1.66% 1.16% 0.66%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements (0.10%) [1] (0.85%) [1]         
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 0.81% 0.81% 1.66% 1.16% 0.66%
[1] The Fund's distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (Distributor) has contracted to limit the Fund's Class A shares' 12b-1 fees to no more than 0.15% of average daily net assets, respectively, from April 30, 2013 through April 30, 2014. The Distributor has also contracted to limit the Fund's Class B shares' 12b-1 fee to no more than 0.15% of average daily net assets from March 1, 2013 through February 28, 2014. The waivers may be terminated only be agreement of the Distributor and the Fund.

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and reflects the applicable Distributor's expense waivers for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A
355 547 756 1,355
Class B
283 540 822 1,421
Class C
269 523 902 1,965
Class R
118 368 638 1,409
Institutional Class
67 211 368 822

(if not redeemed)

Expense Example, No Redemption Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class B
83 440 822 1,421
Class C
169 523 902 1,965

Investments in the Fund are not and will not be deposits with or liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542 and its holding companies, including their subsidiaries or related companies (the "Macquarie Group"), and are subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and capital invested. No Macquarie Group company guarantees or will guarantee the performance of the Fund, the repayment of capital from the Fund, or any particular rate of return.

Please keep this Supplement for future reference.

This Supplement is dated October 28, 2013.

v2.4.0.6
Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd

Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fund (the "Fund")

What are the Fund's fees and expenses?

The following table describes the fees and expenses that 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 $100,000 in Delaware Investments® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd
Class A
Class B
Class C
Class R
Institutional Class
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price 2.75% none none none none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower none 2.00% [1] 1.00% [1] none none
[1] If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you buy them, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 2.00%, which declines to 1.00% during the second and third years, and 0% thereafter. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% CDSC.

Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd
Class A
Class B
Class C
Class R
Institutional Class
Management Fees 0.46% 0.46% 0.46% 0.46% 0.46%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.25% 1.00% 1.00% 0.50% none
Other Expenses 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses 0.91% 1.66% 1.66% 1.16% 0.66%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements (0.10%) [1] (0.85%) [1]         
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 0.81% 0.81% 1.66% 1.16% 0.66%
[1] The Fund's distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (Distributor) has contracted to limit the Fund's Class A shares' 12b-1 fees to no more than 0.15% of average daily net assets, respectively, from April 30, 2013 through April 30, 2014. The Distributor has also contracted to limit the Fund's Class B shares' 12b-1 fee to no more than 0.15% of average daily net assets from March 1, 2013 through February 28, 2014. The waivers may be terminated only be agreement of the Distributor and the Fund.

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and reflects the applicable Distributor's expense waivers for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A
355 547 756 1,355
Class B
283 540 822 1,421
Class C
269 523 902 1,965
Class R
118 368 638 1,409
Institutional Class
67 211 368 822

(if not redeemed)

Expense Example, No Redemption Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class B
83 440 822 1,421
Class C
169 523 902 1,965
v2.4.0.6
Label Element Value
[RiskReturnAbstract] rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Document Type dei_DocumentType 497
Document Period End Date dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate Dec. 31, 2012
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName DELAWARE GROUP LIMITED-TERM GOVERNMENT FUNDS
Central Index Key dei_EntityCentralIndexKey 0000357059
Amendment Flag dei_AmendmentFlag false
Document Creation Date dei_DocumentCreationDate Oct. 28, 2013
Document Effective Date dei_DocumentEffectiveDate Oct. 28, 2013
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 30, 2013
Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd
 
[RiskReturnAbstract] rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading

Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fund (the "Fund")

Supplement [Text Block] dgltgf_SupplementTextBlock

DELAWARE GROUP® LIMITED-TERM GOVERNMENT FUNDS

Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fund (the "Fund")

Supplement to the Fund's Class A, Class B, Class C, Class R, and Institutional Class
Statutory Prospectus dated April 30, 2013

The following replaces the information in the section entitled, "What are the Fund's fees and expenses?".

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading

What are the Fund's fees and expenses?

Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

The following table describes the fees and expenses that 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 $100,000 in Delaware Investments® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

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 that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination

April 30, 2014

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 $100,000 in Delaware Investments® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount $ 100,000
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and reflects the applicable Distributor's expense waivers for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption

(if not redeemed)

Supplement Closing [Text Block] dgltgf_SupplementClosingTextBlock

Investments in the Fund are not and will not be deposits with or liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542 and its holding companies, including their subsidiaries or related companies (the "Macquarie Group"), and are subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and capital invested. No Macquarie Group company guarantees or will guarantee the performance of the Fund, the repayment of capital from the Fund, or any particular rate of return.

Please keep this Supplement for future reference.

This Supplement is dated October 28, 2013.

Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd | Class A
 
[RiskReturnAbstract] rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 2.75%
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.46%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.91%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.10%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.81%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 355
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 547
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 756
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,355
Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd | Class B
 
[RiskReturnAbstract] rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice 2.00% [2]
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.46%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 1.00%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.66%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.85%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.81%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 283
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 540
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 822
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,421
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 83
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 440
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 822
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 1,421
Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd | Class C
 
[RiskReturnAbstract] rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice 1.00% [2]
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.46%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 1.00%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.66%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets   
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.66%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 269
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 523
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 902
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,965
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 169
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 523
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 902
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 1,965
Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd | Class R
 
[RiskReturnAbstract] rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.46%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.50%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.16%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets   
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.16%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 118
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 368
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 638
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,409
Delaware Limited-Term Diversified Income Fumd | Institutional Class
 
[RiskReturnAbstract] rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.46%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.66%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets   
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.66%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 67
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 211
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 368
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 822
[1] The Fund's distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (Distributor) has contracted to limit the Fund's Class A shares' 12b-1 fees to no more than 0.15% of average daily net assets, respectively, from April 30, 2013 through April 30, 2014. The Distributor has also contracted to limit the Fund's Class B shares' 12b-1 fee to no more than 0.15% of average daily net assets from March 1, 2013 through February 28, 2014. The waivers may be terminated only be agreement of the Distributor and the Fund.
[2] If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you buy them, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 2.00%, which declines to 1.00% during the second and third years, and 0% thereafter. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% CDSC.