איכא דאמרי ברוכי כולי עלמא לא פליגי דלא מברכינן כי פליגי למיתב למ"ד שבעה לסוכה מיתב יתבינן ולמ"ד שמיני לזה ולזה מיתב נמי לא יתבינן אמר רב יוסף נקוט דר' יוחנן בידך דמרא דשמעת' מני רב יהודה בריה דרב שמואל בר שילת ובשמיני ספק שביעי לבר מסוכה יתיב והלכתא מיתב יתבינן ברוכי לא מברכינן
There are those who say that all agree that one does not recite the blessing [on the Sukkah], and that they only disagree over whether one must sit [in the Sukkah] according to the one who ruled that it is regarded as the seventh day in respect of the Sukkah, we must indeed sit in it, while according to the one who ruled that it is regarded as the eighth day in respect of both, we do not even sit in it. R. Yoseph said:... Hold fast to the ruling of R. Yohanan. For who is the authority of the statement? R. Judah the son of R. Shmuel b. Shilath, and he himself sat outside the Sukkah on the eighth day which might be the seventh. And the law is that we must indeed sit in the Sukkah but may not recite the blessing.
Sefer HaChinukh
We have already said many times that the prohibition of work on all of the appointed times is the same. However I need to expand on the discussion here and inform you, my son, about the matter of this holiday which the Sages, may their memory be blessed, informed us (Yoma 2b), which is that it is a holiday on its own - meaning, that it is not part of the holiday of Sukkot. And even though you see all of Israel sitting in their sukkot on one of the two days of the holiday of this holiday of Shemini Atseret - it is not because it is a part of the holiday [of Sukkot]. As behold, we explicitly say in its blessings, "the eighth day of the holiday of convocation," and there is no mention of the holiday of Sukkot in it at all. But because of the ordinance of the two days of the exiles, we must sit in the sukkah eight days; and seven - like the law of the Torah - will not suffice. And therefore we sit in the sukkah on the eighth day of the holiday of Sukkot. And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sukkah 47a), "We do sit" in the sukkah, in order to fulfill the obligation: Since they, may their memory be blessed, obligated us to add a day for each and every appointed time, we have also added to Sukkot and made the days of [the] sukkah eight days. But nonetheless, "we do not bless" over the sukkah on this day; as it it is truthfully a different appointed time - since we are now experts in the fixing of the [new] moon. And it is more fitting for us to bless for the holiday of the convocation which is true than for the other which is because of the ordinance. And perhaps you will say, "Why did they not ordain to recite a blessing for both of them - and we would say, 'on this holiday of Sukkot and holiday of the convocation' - as on Shabbat and an appointed time, we mention both of them?" Behold, this is not [correct]. As Shabbat and an appointed time [can] both of them be as one day, but it is impossible for two appointed times to be together. And hence it is not fitting for us to recite the blessing like this. But it is fitting for us to sit in the sukkah - as sitting in the sukkah does not detract at all from the holiday of convocation; and there is in the thing, [a fulfillment of] the commandment of the ordinance of the two days of holiday of the exiles which they, may their memory be blessed, ordained on every appointed time, as we have explained above (Sefer HaChinukh 301).
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